Nicole's Blog

Teeny Update

2009-05-08T06:16:00.003-06:00

This is a pic that my friend Tiff took when all us church ladies went to Muriale's...yummy.

This is Hunter and Lola playing at Madi's birthday party...too cute!

And, this is Hunter collecting his Easter eggs...just look at that rotten ornery face!

So, it's been a long time since I've actually written anything down in here. I never really felt like anyone ever checked it, so I kind of quit messing with it. But I'm up early this morning and don't want to get into chores yet, so here I am.
Colt has to work this weekend which really bums me out. He had to work last mother's day and it just really stinks to be alone and away from my momma on mother's day. I do get to spend a good portion of the day with Colt's mom who is really sweet and I could not have asked for a better mother-in-law; however, it's just not the same. I hope this year though, I won't get as depressed as I did last year. I just miss my family so much.
On the plus side, I am making a nice late dinner for Colt and tomorrow Hunter and I are going to get to spend the day with Blanca and her two cuties Lola and Madi. Her husband is working this weekend too and also works 12's like Colt. So, I have stuff to do tomorrow and Sunday...I just need to figure out what to do today...

Tag

2008-12-17T09:52:00.002-06:00

*i am sleepy yet restless?
*i want it to be monday after 3pm
*i have homework to do that i really don't want to do
*i miss having christmas spirit
*i fear that i will never live near my family
*i hear spongebob squarepants
*i search for answers
*i wonder if there will ever be a time when i'm not somewhat sad
*i regret quite a few things, but cannot do anything about them
*i love colt hunter and my family
*i forgive even though it doesn't happen for me all the time
*i ache for happiness
*i always feel tired no matter how much sleep/rest i get or how many vitamins or energy drinks i take
*i try to not be negative; however, it is my nature
*i seem to always be in "limbo"
*i know that i have a bad temper sometimes
*i feel disappointed in myself that i cannot always see my blessings
*i dance no more. my time for proms and dances is long over
*i dream of living in WV near my family and friends
*i give in to a great deal more than i should have to
*i listen a great many cartoons
*i sing in the car, but hunter yells when it's too loud and he can't hear his movie
*i laugh at hunter's ornery grin and at the office and the big bang theory
*i can't get myself motivated to work out even for one week...i hate working out
*i cry more than i ever thought i would
*i sleep as much as i possibly can, but it's never enough
*i am being used as a jungle gym
*i see dust that i need to clean, but probably won't until the day my parents are supposed to come in
*i need to appreciate my life for what it is and stop wishing for what i don't have or don't need...easier said than done
*i should pray and trust God's will more

Ho-Hum

2008-10-22T22:20:00.001-06:00

There's really not a whole lot going on right now. Things are pretty mundane, but I guess that's ok every now and then. I haven't felt well for going on three weeks now. I'm not exactly sure what it is. I'm thinking maybe I'm anemic, but not really sure. I hope I start feeling better pretty soon because I really haven't felt like doing too much around the house and Colt has had to pick up the slack and I feel bad. That's pretty much it...sorry nothing interesting.

September WV trip

2008-10-14T21:56:00.005-06:00

Hunter at the Aquarium

Just look at this look that Hunter is giving my mom when she tries to get the remote from him...he's so rotten.

He just had such a blast and loved all the exhibits.

At Amanda's surprise party.

We filled up a baby pool so Hunter could still play in the water but we wouldn't have to worry about the waves.

Hunter was petting a horseshoe crab and we were so afraid that he was gonna rip its legs off.

I had to put this in here...it's too funny. My dad was playing around in the pirates exhibit at Ripley's

Walking on the beach.

He loved finding shells and just playing.

Most of you know that recently I went home to WV and then my family and I went to Myrtle Beach. It was a lot of fun and Hunter had a blast at the beach. Right now, things are back to normal with both Colt and I trying to keep up with school and Hunter. Other than that, there's really not too much going on.

Now, for those of you who have noticed, yes this is a child leash, but if you knew my son, you realize it is necessary. And the thing is he loved it! It was a little monkey that buckled around him and you just held the tail. He would get so excited every time he saw it cause it meant he could walk by himself and not have to be in the stroller or held. For this particular video, it was very cold the last few days we were there, but we still wanted to go to the beach. We decided to just walk on the beach and Hunter for the most part just picked up shells and walked. He then decided he wanted to go into the water, but of course we wouldn't let him and this is him trying to go into the water....it's so funny!

Pics

2008-08-14T16:05:00.002-06:00

Ok, so this is my first time trying to put a slide show on here cause I have way too many pics to put each one on here by itself, so enjoy. These are a few from this summer.

Florida!!!

2008-07-05T09:43:00.007-06:00

Colt's friend Kent and his fiance Becky, were getting married on June 29, 2008 in Florida and he asked Colt to be in the wedding. Since we haven't had a real vacation since our honeymoon, which we also took in almost the same area we went to this time, we decided to make a vacation out of it. We stayed at this amazing resort and had so much fun. My mom came up on Sunday so she could stay with Hunter and Colt and I left on Wednesday taking two days down and staying for four and then taking two day to come back since we were driving. Here are some pictures of our vacation. And sorry they are backwards, I messed up when putting them on here and didn't want to bother fixing it, so if you want it from the beginning to the end, go to the bottom and scroll up. :)

Here's my favorite pic of all! Me and my hubby at the reception, don't we look cute! It's hard to believe it's been 5 years!Here's Colt dancing with Kent during the dance where you pay to dance with either the bride and groom...too funny!

Becky (white dress) and her bridesmaids and friends danced to Thriller! They did a really good job, just like 13 going on 30.

This guy decided to dance with this whole group of girls during some hip hop song, he had some really good moves, ha ha ha. I'm not sure who he is, but I bet he's family of some sort. It was hilarious.

Even Colt got into one of the group dances, it's something where you do different moves and there's the cha-cha in it? I'm not up on the whole dancing thing, but it was so funny and Colt did a really good job.

Ok, like I said we're going backwards. This is Colt and I at the rehearsal dinner, which we were 1/2 hour late for. We are not used to Fl traffic...we felt so bad, but the place where we were staying was like 40 min away and we didn't realize how bad the traffic would be. It took us an hour and 20 mins, ugh!

These are some girls that Colt went to high school with and since Colt was in the wedding party I sat with them. They are extremely nice and we had a lot of fun. There's me on the left then Jenny, Cathy, and Laura.

Here's Colt walking back out into the horrible heat to take more pictures on the beach, the wedding was gorgeous with the ocean as the backdrop. The pastor wouldn't let us take pics of the ceremony saying it would mess with the holy spirit, who knows??? They were allowed to take them before and after, but I wasn't sure and didn't want to offend or get salt water and sand in my nice camera.

This is Mr & Mrs Kent Nash taking their first dance...sooo cute!

This was a really cute game that I had never seen before. Each person takes of his/her shoes and give one to the other. Then they answer questions of who does what more such as "Who loves whom more" and then they answer by holding up which shoe in essence which person better answers the question. It was really neat and such a good and funny game to play at a reception. Too bad I didn't know about that for my wedding...I'll have to remember that for when Manda gets married.

Ok, still going backwards...This is our suite at the Innisbrook Resort and Gold Club! It was incredibly nice for an amazing price. If you go to Clearwater Fl you definitely should look into going here. They have 3 golf corses and six pools!

The "living" area.

Our kitchen.

The view from our balcony!!

OK, well I hope that you made it to the bottom, sorry there are so many like this, but I don't know how to do a slide show.

"Way Down to Cocomo"

2008-06-24T21:00:00.003-06:00

Well, not really...Colt and I are leaving tomorrow for Florida and we'll be gone till Tuesday. Everyone wish us luck an pray that we have a safe and fun trip. I'll make a good post with (hopefully) lots of pics when we get back.

Tag

2008-06-16T17:39:00.005-06:00

Here's a picture just because. This was four days after Hunter was born. We were going to go see the nurse that works with new mom's, a service provided by Sarah Bush, and it was Hunter's first time leaving the house. Wasn't he so cute!!! Of course he still is!

Well, I'm not really sure what the name of the "tag" is, but I'm gonna do it anyway, even though I should be cleaning or writing my paper...oh well.

Here it goes!

What were you doing 5 years ago?

1. Getting ready to get married, it will be 5 years the 21st!

2. My first experience living with a boy, it was definitely something to get used to...I'm still not used to it.

3. Bracing myself for my entrance into the "real world".

4. Trying not to punch my maid of honor in the face, ha ha ha, no really she was horrible!

5. Quitting school with only one more year to go...

What are 5 things on your To-Do list today?

1. Write my research paper that's due Monday (I only have 2 pages finished and it has to be 8).

2. I also have to write two posts for this class.

3. Clean my dirty dirty dirty house!

4. Pack for my vacation to Florida next week!!!

5. Do laundry, ugh!

What are 5 snacks you enjoy?

1. Chocolate

2. Cookies

3. Jarling's Custard Cup

4. Pop, Pop, Pop

5. Nacho Cheese Doritos

What are 5 things you'd do if you were a Billionaire?

1. Pay off mine and Colt's college loans and car

2. Pay for Colt's med school

3. Donate

4. Buy a house

5. Put away for Hunter and future kids college

What are 5 of your bad habits?

1. WORRYING! (definitely agree with you there Tiff)

2. not exercising

3. eating bad foods and drinking pop

4. losing my temper

5. being very messy, not dirty, just messy

What are 5 jobs that you've had?

1. Cleaning the apartments for mom and dad...for 11 years...

2. Arcure's kitchen slave

3. telemarketer

4. bank teller (for way too long)

5. and last but not least a momma by far the most difficult but yields the best rewards!!!!!!

Name 5 places where you have lived

1. Farmington, WV (my fav)

2. Scott Dorm Henderson, TN

3. Dixon Dorm Henderson, TN

4. Wesley Cove Henderson, TN

5. Hindsboro, Il

Who are 5 people you want to tag?

1. well tiff is the only one who reads this that has a blog so there's really no one

2.

3.

4.

5.

Well that's it, I had to write this while fighting with Hunter so if something doesn't make sense you will know...

School, School, School

2008-06-08T21:24:00.003-06:00

Hunter decided that he was going to sit in this basket, not thinking that he may be a little too big and well he got stuck, I was laughing so hard and then had to go get the camera and he got a little angry with me...ha ha ha.We keep 12 packs of diet pepsi (sorry steve we just don't like diet coke, but we LOVE regular coke, it's just there's too much sugar) and Hunter felt that I needed some. So, he kept giving me cans when I was laying on the couch.

Like any guy, Hunter felt he knew the better way to get from the playroom to the living room. This will be great to use when they get older, ha ha ha.

This is a pick of our friends Ryan and Blanca's new little girl
Madilyn Ryan Shonkwiler, she's so cute!

When we go and visit Ryan and Blanca, Hunter and Lola always swap pacifiers and sippy cups. Lola doesn't even like pacifiers and well the cups (I brough two of Hunters just in case and ended up getting the extra out for Lola cause she loved Hunter's so much, now I have to bring them both all the time, lol) they go between the two all night. It's so funny.

I'm just two weeks away from being finished with my fourth class at Ashford University! Currently, I'm taking Statistics for the Behavioral and Social Sciences and I'm horrible at it! I've never been really good at math, in fact I had to take remedial Algebra at Freed just to pass...ha ha ha, or science stuff, hence the BA and not the BS in psychology that I'm pursuing, so needless to say this has been a very difficult course. For one, statistics are not my thing, I don't understand it at all and even though I've been reading the material and studying, I'm not really getting it. All I can say is thank goodness that I'm almost done and I will hopefully never have to do this stuff again!
In just a couple of weeks it will be Colt's and mine "5" year anniversary!!! Can you believe it?!?! It really has flown by especially after we had Hunter. There have been some very difficult times, being away from my family has probably been the main source of them, but overall things have gone pretty well. On our actual anniversary, the 21st, I think Colt will actually have to work and his cousin Daniel and his fiance Nikki are having an Engagement party so Hunter and I will be going to that, but don't think we're not going to celebrate. The next week, Colt and I are going to Florida!!! What's really neat is that we're actually going to the exact same place we went to on our honeymoon and we didn't even plan it that way. Colt's friend, Kent, is getting married and asked Colt to be in the wedding and he just happens to now live where we went on our honeymoon. We're not staying in the same place, the Bellview Biltmore, cause they were extremely rude!!!, but we're staying at a really nice place called the Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club. We're leaving on the 25th and traveling probably 12 hours and staying in Georgia, and then the rest of the way the next day. We'll be leaving the 30th and taking two days to come back as well. Now some of your are probably wondering, where is Hunter gonna be, well I said we should just leave him in the house with a bowl of goldfish crackers and a bowl of juice and he would be fine, but Colt said that wasn't acceptable, ha ha ha, j/k! Actually, my mom is coming from WV to stay with Hunter so that Colt and I can have some time to ourselves. It's gonna be hard cause I've spent a night away from him, but not days so we'll see how I do. I know though, that no one could take care of Hunter better than Colt and I other than my mother. In fact, mom will probably spoil him so much he won't even care if Colt and I come back, lol. We just can't wait to have a vacation and to spend some quality time together cause those that have children know that quality time is a rarity.
Shortly after we get back, Hunter and I will be going to WV. We'll get there around the 10th so that we'll make it for my sis's b-day and she also is off from school that week so she'll be around a bit more than last time. Last time we were in she was just a blur with two jobs and school. Then in September, Hunter and I are going out to WV again, but only to leave and go to Myrtle Beach with my family!!! I've never been to Myrtle before and I always love the beach (although last time I went I got stung by a jellyfish, it hurt really badly) and of course love spending time with my family. So all in all I have a pretty packed summer not even to mention that my school doesn't break at all until I finish, about this time next year.
Well, I think that's everything that is going on, nothing exciting for a couple of weeks, but then...woohoo!!! :)

Mother's Day #2

2008-05-13T09:13:00.004-06:00

This is Hunter a year ago on Mother's Day.He's so cute and chubby!

Sooo, grown up now!

He's such a little man and looks more and more like Colt every day.

I just celebrated my second mother's day, can you believe it? Hunter is getting so big and is such a joy. I could do without the teething, but it hurts him more than it does me. It wasn't a too eventful day, Hunter and I went to Paul and Sharon's church (Colt works nights/weekends so he was asleep) which is kind of a tradition on Mother's Day. Then, Paul watched Hunter while Sharon Sarah and I went to Champaign where we ate a Panera (so good) and then we stopped by the Old Navy in Tuscola and Sharon bought me a shirt (I love clothes!). A little later we all went to Paul and Sharon's house for desert and we just visited. Colt had to go into work again that night so Hunter and I came home and watched some TV. As for Mother's Day gifts, Colt gave me some money to get some clothes cause I don't really have any for spring or summer, and I also used some of it to get me a ring that says "Hunter" on it. Also, I'm reading the Chronicles of Narnia series and I have the first book so Hunter got me a card and the next two books. All I can say is that I have a wonderful family and I feel really blessed. Alas, I did not get to see my momma on Mother's Day, but I did talk to her and I sent her a card with violets on it (her fav). I miss my momma a ton and can't wait to see her, and I hope that she had a great Mother's day also.

Nothing New

2008-04-29T19:53:00.004-06:00

We got this chair for Hunter for Christmas, well when he only has on a diaper and plays on it, the diaper tabs get stuck. The next thing we know, he's completely out of his diaper running around buck naked....sooo funny!I put mine and Colt's shoes on the other side of this gate because Hunter likes to play with shoes which is gross! Hunter has seen me do it so many times that when I don't get to the shoes in time he throws them over for me, adorable! What isn't adorable is that now everything has to be thrown over the gate. Diapers (clean ones), toys, binkies, clothes, you name it it goes over the gate.

When we went to visit WV earlier this month, Dad took the box their new washer came in and made a little fort for Hunter, he loved it!

They were good buddies the whole trip. Hunter would start crying so hard when Dad would finally bring him inside because they had so much fun. They even rode the 4-wheeler!

Here's Hunter playing with the deer feed that he puts out for his "pet" deer. Mom kept finding it all over the house cause Hunter took the bucket and dumped it all over himself.

So, I don't really have too much going on. Just going to school, taking care of Hunter and Colt, and the house, that's pretty much it. Kind of a boring time going on right now. We do have some fun stuff coming up in June, we'll be married for "five" years and we're also going on vacation to Florida! So, that's pretty much it.

Quake

2008-04-18T07:02:00.003-06:00

If any of you missed it, Illinois had an Earthquake! It happened at about 4:30 am and originated around West Salem, that's about 100 mi from where I live, I think. Anyway, I couldn't sleep cause Colt kept snoring so I was lying on the couch. I was almost asleep when I felt the whole house shake! At first I thought it was the wind cause the wind can shake a house, but this was much much more. After a few seconds, I realized that this was definitely more than the wind and might just be an earthquake. I've never been in one before and this one wasn't really that bad, but it definitely scared me. It was also very disorienting. I didn't know what to do and after it was over I felt bad that I didn't run to get Hunter and wake Colt up. But it wasn't really bad, nothing fell off of anything and within 30 seconds it was over. So, everyone is ok, Colt and Hunter slept right through it and that's about it.

My Papaw

2008-04-01T10:49:00.005-06:00

This was in the house he had in Florida where he and my mamaw went every winter.Here are Jesse and I sporting very cool Kool-aid mustaches. I'm on the left just in case anyone was confused.

Papaw loved fishing!

And here is my baby, enjoying life just like his namesake.

My cousin Jesseca recently got in touch with me and we are actually going to be at home at the same time, that hardly ever happens with people that live away like I do, hence Tiff and I never being in at the same time. Well in our correspondence, she sent me some pics of my papaw and of us with out Great-Grandma McDougal (I don't remember her, but I looked like I was having fun). For those of you who didn't know my papaw, he was one of the greatest people I have ever known in my entire life. He thoroughly enjoyed life, especially food :) and never met a stranger. Unfortunately he passed away a couple of years ago, but he is in my thoughts daily and I have also named my son after him and after one of his favorite past times. He loved hunting (which every guy in both mine and Colt's family do) and my papaws first name was William, Hunter William Guthridge. So, here are a few pictures of my papaw Earl and of me and my cousin Jesse when we were little.

I'm going to South Beach...

2008-03-16T22:19:00.003-06:00

Of course I had to throw a pic of Hunter in here...he's wearing my glasses cause he's already so smart! But with Colt and mine's bad eyes, he probably will end up with glasses at some point.

Ok, well not exactly. What I am doing is the South Beach Diet. I have been trying and failing miserably to lose weight. Those of you who knew me in high school remember that I was very little and when I went away to college I gained a little more weight. When I got married I was pretty ok with my weight, but then Colt started working at Domino's and then it has gone down hill since then. I have steadily gained weight and even though I have tried multiple time to take it off, I just can't. Now that I've had my first child losing the weight is just about impossible. It doesn't help that some of the meds I take make me gain weight but also make it impossible to lose. It has finally gotten to the point where I am just uncomfortable and I hate looking this way plus I have no energy. I'm so tired all the time which I always have been but it's getting really bad, and with a one-year-old to run after I need all the energy I can get. Another motivation is that Colt and I are going to Florida at the end of June and I would love to look half descent in a bathing suit; although because of hideous stretch marks a two piece will never again cross my mind. After all that, Colt and I have decided to try the South Beach Diet. I have heard many good things about it, read the book and I really do think that I can do it. Now whether Colt can do it is another story. The boy only like two vegetables, corn and frozen sweet peas, and he can't even have corn in the first phase. The only foods you can have are meat vegetables and dairy, so I'm hoping he will do ok, but we'll see. I also have doubts for me because the main focus is to get off sugar and bad carbs, well I can get off the carbs, but man do I love my sweets! I can have sugar-free things so that will help. Needless to say, this is going to be quite an undertaking and I could use all the prayers and encouragement I can get. My overall goal is to lose 35 lbs which I know will take a while, but I really want to do this. So everyone, wish me luck!

Such a Cutie!!!

2008-03-05T22:49:00.003-06:00

Here's an adorable picture of Hunter. Nothing else to say, just showing off my adorable son.

Hunter turns "1"!!!!!

2008-03-02T19:17:00.004-06:00

Blowing out the candles on his Seasame Street cake.Digging into his own little cake.

Realized he loves birthday cake!

Opening birthday presents.

Yesterday my baby boy turned one! It was a great birthday and a wonderful party. We had the party at Paul and Sharon's house and a ton of people showed up! We counted about 43 people who came to celebrate Hunter's birthday with us. It was so wonderful to have everyone there (my mom and sis traveled from WV to come also!) to help celebrate his first year.

Here's a video of Hunter enjoying his birthday cake.

Just some pictures

2008-02-19T15:03:00.004-06:00

A picture we can use at Hunter's 16th birthday!Lola taking Hunter for a ride.

Just a cutie!

First Week

2008-02-05T23:45:00.001-06:00

Isn't this the cutest picture of my dad and Hunter?!?! This was taken the day they left after Christmas and Hunter had just woken up, he's so cute! And you can just tell how much my dad loves him, he's papaw's boy.

Well, I'm into my second week of class and I have to say that I am quite rusty! There is so much reading and because these are accelerated courses, there is so much to do! I do like learning, I just don't like homework and not being in school for 4 1/2 years, I'm kinda stuck in the routine of watching a lot of tv and being busy with household chores. Its a big adjustment, especially since I can only study when Hunter is asleep and he has not been taking very good naps lately. I know this all sounds really negative, but it's not, it's just very different. So, if everyone could keep praying for me, I could really use it!
On a lighter note, Hunter was playing with my phone today and somehow called my mom and dad's house twice! My mom called and said she was worried cause I called 2 times in like 5 mins and it was Hunter, he's so rotten!

Walking!!!

2008-02-02T11:01:00.000-06:00

Playing in his chair with his new computer keyboard. It fits right over our keyboard and has a program with it, he loves it!Playing with Lola.

I'm afraid Hunter is gonna be as addicted to coke as Colt is, he hasn't had any yet though, just likes to play with the cans.

Hunter has started walking!!! I'm so excited! Everyone says now he'll be everywhere, but he's everywhere already so oh well. He started Thursday night by Colt standing him up a little ways away from him and then getting him to come towards him, and he did it! He's walked like 5 or 6 steps 4 or 5 times since then and it almost made me cry. He's just getting so big and growing way too fast!

School

2008-01-22T20:31:00.000-06:00

One of Hunter's new faces, when he does this he goes "oooooooo"....so cute!A gorgeous scene off the front porch of my parents house.

Aunt Manda was playing with his hair.

Hunter is sooo close to walking! He will definitely be walking before he turns 1!

Here's a pic of Hunter opening up his rocking horse from "Mamaw & Papaw" on Christmas.

As most of you know, I stopped going to school shortly after Colt and I got married. I was an English major, but I decided that I was tired of it and really didn't know what I was going to do with it, so I quit. Colt has wanted me to go back to school for a while, but I just haven't been ready. Well, I'm finally ready so I'm going back to school! I've decided to go back finally, but I'm doing it online. With Hunter, there is just no way I can go to a campus every day for hours at a time, plus I don't want to be away from him that much. I'm going to major in Psychology, which a lot of people will probably say isn't a good major, but I do have intentions of getting my masters, which I can also do online. I start on the 29th and I have one class every five weeks. I'm a little nervous cause it has been a while since I was in school, so everyone send up a prayer that I will do well!

Christmas Tag (sorry it's a little late)

2007-12-26T15:13:00.000-06:00

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I am a gift bags girl, but for Hunter I wrap.

2. Real tree or artificial? I just got an artificial pre-lit tree and I love it, it's perfect!

3. When do you put up the tree? as soon as I can after Thanksgiving

4. When do you take the tree down? probably after the first of the year

5. Do you like eggnog? mmm, my dad's if wonderful!

6. What about Fruitcake? never had it

7. Favorite gift received as a child? a computer

8. Do you have a nativity scene?nope but i wouldn't mind having a willow tree nativity, it's like 300 for the whole set

9. Hardest person to buy for? any of the guys in my life except Hunter

10. Easiest person to buy for? my mom, she's always so appreciative of everything you get her

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? a lotion bath set that smelled like rotten pine trees, it was horrible

12. Mail or email Christmas cards? mail of course, how could i send the great professional pictures i got of hunter through e-mail

13. Favorite Christmas Movie? Santa Clause and Elf

14. When do you start shopping for Christmas? well i'm gonna start as soon as i can this year so money isn't so tight this time next year

15. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? yup, i recycled a lot of my wedding presents, who can really use 5 George Foreman grills...really?

16. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? mashed potatoes and gravy and my mom's rolls and homemade noodles!

17. Clear lights or colored on the tree? the ones that are on my pre-lit tree

18. Favorite Christmas song? man i love all christmas music!

19. Travel for Christmas or stay at home? depends on colt's work schedule

20. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? definitely

21. Angel on the tree top or a star? a big bow with ribbons going down

22. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? well depends on when colt works once again, this year he had to work 7am to 7pm on christmas day so we did christmas eve

23. What is the one present you want most this year? well christmas is over now, i'm a little late getting this done, but I got what i wanted, my family to come in this year

24. Most annoying thing about this time of year? i live in illinois and my family lives
in West Virginia

25. What I love most about Christmas? being with the people i love

26. What do you miss most about Christmas? the awe i had when i was little, i'm looking forward to seeing it on hunter's face when he is older

New Camera!

2007-12-22T23:27:00.000-06:00

I finally figured out how to get the pictures from my new camera, which I love!, onto the computer. So, here are a few that I took, I actually took over 100 in just two weeks. I'll have more after Christmas.

Posing for the cameraSo good at helping me with my laundry.

Playing in the big blanket

Being a ham.

The Abominable Snow Baby....ahhhhh!

I hope everyone has a great Christmas!!!

Computer Malfunction

2007-11-15T23:59:00.000-06:00

Playing with his bear "Rupert" in the laundry basket.Talking into a cup with Sharon at the Guthridge get together.

Sunday, we had a bit of a scare with the computer. A thunderstorm lightening storm came through and when I had just gotten up with Hunter, I heard a pop from the computer and then smelled burnt plastic, and guess what, it was the computer. I was so scared that it had fried the computer completely and we had lost all of the stuff we had saved on it including almost all the pics I have of Hunter since he has been born. Since Colt built our computer, he was able to start taking it apart and replacing things that were damaged and we found out that it didn't do anything to the hard drive so thank goodness! Everything was fine and we didn't lose a single thing!
Thanksgiving is coming up and Colt, Hunter, and I are going to WV!!!!! I'm so excited! I miss everyone from home so much and I can't wait to see them. Also, we will go to my Uncle's for Thanksgiving dinner and it will be so nice cause I haven't seen some of my mom's family since before I got married. All in all, I'm really excited and I will let everyone know how it went when I get back.

Pics

2007-11-10T02:57:00.000-06:00

Sitting in a little chair at the Guthridge get together.Playing around on the floor in his monkey slippers

Knowing that he's not supposed to get into stuff, there is also a pic like this of me when i was about his age.

We didn't dress Hunter up for Halloween cause I knew I wouldn't take him trick or treating, but Sharon found this little outfit that said my first Halloween on it with a little hat with bat wings. Also, here's a pic of my inlaws Paul and Sharon

The first time Hunter pulled himself up onto the coffee table.

PS, let me know if you guys are reading it, leave a comment by clicking "comment" in the bottom right hand corner of the post you want to comment on.

My Eyes Have Been Opened

2007-11-04T23:27:00.000-06:00

Why I thank God every day that I was born in America!

The other night, my husband and I decided to watch a movie and the one that won out the vote was "Blood Diamond". If you don't know of this movie, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connoly, and Djimon Hansou (spelling?) they are all in Africa in the late nineties. The movie is about African conflict diamonds and what the people of the African nation have to go through so that diamonds can be provided basically for everyone but themselves. It mainly tells of the story of a man, Djimon Hansou (the d is silent) who is ripped apart from his family and forced to work in the diamond mines of Africa. While working, he finds a beautiful pink diamond the size of a birds egg and tries to hide if for himself so that he can get his family back and not ever have to worry about being plagued by the civil wars of his country. Well, the movie goes on to show his struggle and along the way meets Leo's character, a diamond smuggler, who also wants the diamond mainly for himself. I won't go into too much more detail about the story cause my purpose for this blog if for you to go out and watch it, but I will comment on the horrors that I saw. Now, I'm sure that for this movie they upped the gruesome parts and exaggerated a few things, but I'm pretty sure that for the most part it was dead on. This movie showed what awful horrible tortures that most of the African people must go through in order to meet the world's diamond need and it was heart-wrenching! Families ripped apart, children with missing arms and legs, mother being shot and killed right in front of their children and the worst part was the ones who were doing the killing, young little boys! These boys were taken from their families and brain washed with drugs and lies into believing that they families and countrymen were the enemies and that they should shoot and kill whoever is not in their "army". I know the magic of Hollywood can be disillusioning, but I am pretty sure that there was very little exaggeration for the horrible things that were depicted in this movie. After viewing what other people, mainly children, have to go through in order to provide me with a pretty piece of jewelry, I no longer wish to have diamonds. Now, I'm not saying I'm going to get rid of my wedding rings, but no longer will I ask or purchase diamonds for myself or anyone else. I urge everyone who reads my blog to go out and rent this movie and see what others are put through in order to provide us with something that is definitely not a necessity. This will be a difficult movie to watch, but in the end you will appreciate being made aware of the horrors that others have to go through and hopefully if enough of us pray and refuse to buy conflict diamonds then perhaps something will change. And just to add a little actual truth to this post, at the end of the movie they stated that there were still over 200,000 children soldiers!!! Little babies used to kill!

What's Been Going On

2007-10-25T23:07:00.000-06:00

I had a pile of drool on top of my head after this...

All of us visiting the Yosts

My Mamaw Miller with Hunter

Hunter playing on the 4-wheeler, I'm sure he'll be driving it in no time.

Dad and Hunter were buddies that whole trip!

Well, it's been a while since I have written a blog and people are probably like well she never writes one any more so why should I look so I figured that I better get to writing. So, in the time that I wrote a blog and not just listed things a lot has happened. My mom and sis came to visit me and that was awesome! I love it when they can come. We just hung out around here and went to Tuscola, they have an outlet mall there, and just played with Hunter and ate food of course. But the unexpected surprise was that I was able to go home with them for a visit! Mom agreed to drive me back after about a week and begrudgingly Colt said that I could go. So, we left on Monday and I stayed till the next Tuesday and we, Hunter and I, had a really nice visit! We didn't really do too much but just being able to be home is so nice. One thing we did do was go see the hot air balloons up in Morgantown with mom dad Manda, Hunter of course, Cindy Brian Caleb and Hunter Luke and that was great; although, Hunter did not think so. He screamed and cried and shook all over every time they lit up. But it did make me feel good that I was the only one who could get him to stop crying (it's a momma thing). Mom especially loved seeing the balloons cause she's always wanted to.
On Tuesday we came back, we were gonna leave on Monday but it was mom and dad's anniversary and dad asked if he could see his wife on their 31st!!!! anniversary so how could I say no, and on Thursday mom went back to WV. Wednesday mom, Hunter and I went to run a bunch of errands and one specific one was that I needed to trade in my cell phone to Best Buy before the 30 days were over. Well, guess what I did!?!? Got all the way to the Champaign parking lot of Best Buy and realized that I left the bag with the phone box charger and receipt in my kitchen...I was soooo mad! But Friday Colt and I went up and exchanged it and now I like the phone I have so it all worked out, but I was still annoyed!
I have a lot more to go in here but that is enough for one post I'll write more later and I plan on taking some pics this weekend so hopefully I'll have some more to put on. We're having a Guthridge cookout and I don't have any pics of Hunter with Colts family so I need to start clicking away!

Colt

2007-10-16T09:27:00.000-06:00

The husband tag
1. Who is your man? Colt
2. How long have you been together? since February 15, 2002
3. How long did you date? 9 months i think
4. How old is your man? 24
5. Who eats more? hopefully Colt
6. Who said "I love you" first? Colt
7. Who is taller? Colt beats me by a good foot
8. Who sings better? i do
9. Who is smarter? colt, but i can definitely clean better!
10. Whose temper is worse? definitely me...thanks mom...hahaha
11. Who does the laundry? mostly me, colt will do it sometimes and always keeps up with it when i'm away
12. Who takes out the garbage? colt
13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? i do
14. Who pays the bills? i used to but it was just too stressful and i hated to be the one who said no all the time so i gave it up to him and he's doing a really good job!
15. Who is better with the computer? colt colt colt...i can't figure out anything anymore, hunter has fried my brain cells
16. Who mows the lawn? colt's papaw
17. Who cooks dinner? mainly me, but colt loves to cook and is very good at it, i've just been doing it longer
18. Who drives when you are together? colt, he doesn't like my driving
19. Who pays when you go out? whoever gets the debit card out first
20. Who is most stubborn? colt wins that one hands down!
21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? we're both pretty bad about that, i am stubborn too
22. Whose parents do you see the most? his, course we live only 2 mins from them
23. Who kissed who first? colt
24. Who asked who out? we were set up by friends on a blind date
25. Who proposed? colt and it was sooooo sweet and very original
26. Who is more sensitive? i am, but i like to put up a tough front
27. Who has more friends? colt
28. Who has more siblings? same
29. Who wears the pants in the family? me, i hate wearing skirts and dresses, ha ha ha. we try to be equal but we both get our way most of the time, but i am a girl and try to get my way. :)

Tagged

2007-10-13T19:58:00.000-06:00

So, I have been tagged, not really sure where this all started and I don't have anyone else to tag but I'll put the facts for everyone to read.

Here are the rules.
(1)Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
(2) People who are tagged need to write a post on their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules.
(3) At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
(4) Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

1. I am a Science Fiction fanatic. I love Star Wars and I love Star Trek! I have seen each episode of the Star Treks at least twice (except for the original) and I own two of the movies.

2. The only reason I watch the Food Network challenges is to see the sculptures fall.

3. I am a magazine junkie! At one time, I used to spend $30 a month on magazines. I had to stop my habit, but I would get every magazine (well the ones I like) every month if I could afford it.

4. I have absolutely no idea what I want to do with my life. Right now, I am a mom and I love it, but if I had to go back to school and pick something to major in, I would be clueless. At one time, I was a fashion design major and really liked it, but there's not a whole lot to do unless you want to live in LA or New York. Then I was an English major, but as you can tell from my previous blogs, I wasn't very good. Plus, there's not much to do with an English Degree unless you become a teacher or a writer. Basically, I'm as clueless as I was in high school.

5. I play this game called World of Warcraft that is soooo completely dorky that I'm really embarassed that I do play it. Most of the people who play it, are little kids, but I just really like it. I won't go into too much cause it's just too weird, but it's not something I ever thought I would get in to.

6. When I was pregnant, I ate an entire chocolate cake with chocolate icing by myself! Colt only had one small piece and it was gone in less than a week, yet I still managed to gain only 20 lbs...while I was pregnant, after is another story! :)

7. I made a quilt completely by myself for my mom dad and sister for Christmas one year and I am beginning another.

8. I feel very sorry for Britany Spears. No matter how many screwed up things she has done, I feel so bad that she lost her kids, and could not even imagine that happening to me. I think she has post-partom depression and she really needs help. I had a little bit of that and I got some help and did much better. I just really hope that she gets through this and gets her kids back.

Ok, those are some facts about me they may not be very interesting, and if you did not enjoy it, blame Tiff...ha ha ha. To read her 8 click on the link to the right

Inspired

2007-09-24T05:43:00.000-06:00

As most of you already know by my past blogs, most of them are about my wonderful yet ornery son, Hunter; however, I've been inspired over this weekend to make a different sort of blog. My friend, Tiffany, wrote a blog of 25 things that make her happy (to read her blog just click on the link to the right) and I've decided to do the same. I feel that everyone should write down a list of all the things that make them happy because it makes all those that don't, seem not quite as bad. Some of these may be pointless to most and some may not be in any particular order and like Tiffany's do not include everything that makes me happy; nevertheless, here are 25 things that make me happy...

25. Nail Polish
24. TV
23. The internet (email, blog, etc...)
22. Medicine (without it I would have a hard time living a normal life)
21. Cell phones
20. Pop (I've now switched to Diet Dr. Pepper, trying to lose that baby weight)
19. CHOCOLATE (not really helping me lose that baby weight)
18. Getting mail that is not bills
17. World of Warcraft (it's a silly dorky game, but when you have very little money having something to play around at that isn't very expensive is a big deal)
16. Talking to my family on the phone!!!
15. The hope that one day I'll be able to do more than just talk to them on the phone
14. Hunter laughing
13. Feeding Hunter his baby food (although it can be really messy at times, and for some reason he likes to eat his toes while he eats his food???)
12. SLEEP (however little or much I get)
11. Jon & Kate plus 8 (a show on TLC about a couple that has twins and sextuplets, makes me realize that I can do it with just 1)
10. Books (whether for pleasure or informational, could not live without the baby ones!)
9. Air Conditioning
8. The smell of my mom and dad's house in the winter!
7. Movie or TV quotes
6. Friends far and near who care about me and my family
5. Having really great in-laws who truly love and care about me, Hunter, and of course Colt :)
4. My family, there are hardly words that can express how much they mean to me. I love them so much and it breaks my heart every day that I'm away from them. I hope that they know how much I love them and how much their love means to me.
3. HUNTER!!!!! I love my baby boy so much and even though there are times I get frustrated he's one of the best things in my life and by far the best thing I've ever done!
2. My husband, he puts up with me when I don't think anyone else could and can still make me laugh even when I'm in the worst mood. He gave me my son and he gives me his unconditional love every day, I am so very blessed to have him in my life.
1. The knowledge that there is a plan for me, that I may not always understand it, but God does and if I just have faith in Him, everything will work out for the best.

And of course, I had to put in a few pics of my beautiful boy!

This is a picture of his first day on earth.

This is from just a few days ago, hasn't he grown so much!?!?

Growing Up

2007-09-18T18:34:00.000-06:00

Like most babies, Hunter's days are filled with eating and sleeping. Here are some cute pics of him doing just that! This first one he was trying baby food for the first time, carrots, mmmm!This was so funny! I had put Hunter in his bed for just a few minutes so I could do something and when I came back in he had rolled himself up in his blanket and thought it was so funny! He loves hiding under blankets he just giggles and laughs.
We went to our friends Ryan and Blanca's a couple of weeks ago and we didn't stay really late, but it was definitely past Hunter's bedtime. Colt just sat him down on their couch and he just passed out.
This pic was from this evening. I was trying to eat dinner and he was really really fussy (we visited Blanca and Lola, Hunter's girlfriend ha ha, early that day and got new phones so he missed his nap) so I decided to give Hunter a saltine cracker and he loved it. Although i think most of it ended up on him and in the chair beside him. It was so disgusting I had to just throw the whole high chair cover in the washer. Blah!
Here, he started to pull himself up onto his knees by holding onto his bouncy chair. He was up a lot higher but by the time I got the batteries in my digital camera he had slumped down. Some may not think that this is really that big, but I do cause he's just growing so fast and getting so big!
Now this, last night I was giving Hunter a bath and I usually put him on his back, well, he kept wanting to roll over and I wouldn't let him until finally I was like well I'll just let him and see how he does. He rolled over and LOVED it! It was like he was swimming in the tub and he didn't get his face down in the water at all. Now don't worry I stayed with him the whole time so nothing would happen to him in the tub. And just look at that cute little baby butt!!!!!

Lastly, I want to thank all of those who posted comments on my blog. I really appreciated it cause it let's me know that people are looking at it and I know that I'm getting to show off my cutie pie!

Getting his veggies and fruits!

2007-09-08T10:15:00.000-06:00

We've just started giving Hunter some vegetables and fruit and here is how he reacted to the applesauce. Now don't think we are being cruel and making him eat it even though he doesn't like it, he really does I just think it being cold and tart made his reaction come out like this. Also I finally, well Colt, put a video on here of him "enjoying" his applesauce. Enjoy!

He really does like it I promise!

by the way, to everyone who reads my blog, I would love it if those who have the time would leave a comment. All you have to do is click on the word "comments" down at the bottom right hand corner of the blog you want to comment on. I would love to hear what you guys have to say...

WV

2007-09-01T21:10:00.001-06:00

Here are some pics from my trip to WV. There are some more but my sis hasn't sent them all to me yet. Here's Hunter chilling on the floor.
This pic looks really funny, but I'll explain. Hunter is teething and apparently he was using Alex's head, as well as Caleb and Hunter Luke's, as teething rings. The very next day his very first tooth came in!
Here's dad and Hunter spending some quality time out on the deck.
Hunter was playing on his back and pulled the cover over his head and started playing, it was so funny. He was giggling and having a good time hiding!

Getting packed and eating

2007-08-19T17:44:00.001-06:00

Hunter and I are leaving for WV early Tuesday morning so I decided I would start packing! This is the first thing I decided to pack, although, I found it was kinda hard to get this particular piece of luggage packed. :)

Hunter is getting so big! He'll be 6 months old on the 1st and I just can't believe that much time has passed already. We've been debating on when to start giving him solid foods but when he started wanting Colt's Doritos, we decided that it was just about time.
I thought that they might be a little too strong for his first food so...
...I decided to start him on some rice cereal mixed with formula.
Most of the cereal ended up out of his mouth, but some actually made its way in.
Even though he looks a little pouty, he really did like his cereal. He's had it twice so far and things are going pretty well.

Takes after his momma

2007-08-13T23:35:00.000-06:00

He was so sleepyJust playing

Isn't he so cute!

Just woke up from taking a nap...so adorable!

Well, I'm staying up late cause I forgot to wash Colt's scrubs for work, needless to say I'm not happy about it cause I'm pretty tired. In the meantime, I will update my blog.
This past weekend our friends Erin and Jared got married! It was a really nice wedding but I gotta say that I'm happy wedding season is over! It's very hectic trying to do all that stuff with a baby so now that the season is over I'm kinda happy. Colt and I both had jobs in the wedding (we were extended wedding party). Colt was to help set up the reception (the ceremony and the reception were both in the same room) and dismiss the tables for food and I was a greeter and did "crowd control" and did cake and punch. It was so nice seeing two people so perfect for each other getting married! I was really honored that they asked me to help.
On Sunday, we went to church as usual, but Hunter decided to spice things up a bit during communion. While the grape juice was being passed around and everything was really really quiet, Hunter decides to let out a really loud burp. It was soooo funny! Everyone started laughing but tried to keep quiet cause it was communion, but it was really really hard. Already my baby is showing promise in taking after his momma in being able to burp! He has a long way to go but his is definitely holding his own for 5 1/2 months!

My "baby" sister

2007-08-06T19:12:00.000-06:00

HaHaHa...she'll probably kill me for putting this on here.

Her tattoo.

I just did a post but I was inspired to do another. I was looking at some pics that my sister finally sent me and it just hit me that she is actually grown up! For so long, she's always been my little sister and finally she is now my sister. Here are some pics of her and one of her tatoo!

Power Outage

2007-08-04T22:41:00.000-06:00

In his swing watching "My Friends Tigger and Pooh".Enjoying his new high chair.

I put it together all by myself!

Colt and I were supposed to go out tonight and eat dinner and go to a movie, well then a huge storm came through and our power went out right when I was putting my makeup on. So, that was that and it really made me mad! For those of you who have children, you will know that a night out just you and your husband is few and far between, so when we actually got one I was really looking forward to it. Not to mention the fact that Colt and I rarely go see movies cause we have no money; therefore, this was going to be really fun. Well blah on that! It seems like the power goes out here all the time and it's really frustrating! There are like 2 trees for every 5 miles here and every time there is a storm one falls and goes into a power line. In WV we have a billion trees and a lot of storms, yet rarely do we lose power. It's just very frustrating cause the prices for electric are sky high and power is still lost all the time. Ok, my rant is now over, sorry for the complaints but I really wanted to go out tonight!
What we decided to do instead was just go and get some KFC and then come home in hopes that the power came back on, and it did. So, even though we didn't get to go out, we still had some relaxing time to ourselves and ate some yummy and very fattening food.

New Schedule

2007-07-29T00:24:00.000-06:00

Blanca with Lola and Hunter and I.
(apparently, baby hands taste good)Blanca and I at the reception.

This week has been a good week, but there were some drawbacks. We visited our friends Ryan and Blanca this week and that was a lot of fun, but Colt started midnights and that has been something to get used to. I thought I would like it better but at the moment I don't. It seems that I hardly ever get to see him when he has to work and because he has to get accustomed to working nights, he sleeps during the day so that leaves me alone with Hunter most of the day pretty much every day. I love Hunter and I love being home with him, but having help 4 out of 7 days is something you get used to and now I don't have it. Colt still helps out a ton with Hunter it's just when I'm really sleepy in the late morning that it gets hard cause I'm not a morning person. :) I'm sure I will get used to it but for right now it's a big adjustment.

Little Helper

2007-07-24T23:38:00.000-06:00

Robbie and Allison recreating their ceremonyHunter helping me with dinner

He was down holding the pig then he lifted himself up...such a big boy!

Isn't he soooo CUTE!!!!!

Look at that chubby face and that dimple!!!!

This past weekend was rather busy but it was very fun. We had two receptions to go to on Saturday and we actually made it to both. The first was very nice. It was for Jason and Kim Conn and even though we could only stay for a little bit it was nice to see everyone. The second was for Robbie and Allison Biggs and we were at that one for quite a while. It was a really nice reception and there were a lot of people that Colt hadn't seen in a while so it was nice for him to visit with his friends.
To another subject, my favorite, Hunter; he was a very good boy today and I have some of the cutest pics to show. Some are of when he was helping me with dinner tonight and the others are of when he was just playing on the furniture and managed to almost sit up by himself! He's just getting soooo big.

Family Weekend

2007-07-19T22:34:00.000-06:00

Hunter in his stroller at Walnut PointWalnut Point

Before we all got ice cream and ate way too much

Being silly with Hunter

This past weekend Colt Hunter and I went to Columbus, OH to meet my family at Fort Rapids water park and have a mini vacation. We met up on Friday and did some shopping and ate at Applebees, it was yummy. On Saturday, we went to Ohio's largest indoor water park and played around on the slides and the lazy river and lounged in the hot tub. Hunter didn't quite know what to think of it all cause he's not used to being in more water than our bathtub can hold, but after a while he seemed to like it. When he's older I know he'll love it. Sunday we drove back to Illinois and my family came too. We just kinda hung out and relaxed after everything. On Monday, we went to Walnut Point and looked around and had some ice cream, very good, and then came home and just enjoyed being around each other. It was really nice to see them, but I hated that they had to go so soon.
This weekend we are going to be very busy. We have two wedding receptions and we're gonna try to fit them into one day. The first is our friends Jason and Kim Conn who got married in Tennessee, and then second is our friends Robbie and Allison Biggs who got married in Mexico. Colt and I are really looking forward to it and know that we'll have fun.
A small note, I'm not great at taking pictures when we're at places and doing things so that's why there are no pics at the water park, sorry, I'm gonna try to do better.

Just too funny!

2007-07-11T05:41:00.000-06:00

Ok, these pics are just too funny for me not to put them on here. I don't really have anything to write again but these are just too cute. The first pic is of Hunter "helping me with the laundry" and the second two are how I found him asleep this morning when I got up. Now I put him to sleep on his stomach (yes I know you're not supposed to but he sleeps that way so I do) with his head towards the little crib toy and he wiggled himself into this position....soooo funny!!!

Pictures

2007-07-09T10:33:00.000-06:00

I'm not going to write a whole lot cause I'm feeling pretty crummy today, but here are a few pics of what I've been up to for the past week or so.

Trying to keep Hunter occupied before bed, he fell asleep while I was bouncing him this wayOur friends Ryan and Kasey Miller's new baby Reed Arden

Our friends Ryan and Blanca's little girl Lola and Hunter

Another time when Hunter was so tired he just fell asleep sitting up

One more pics of Hunter and Lola and there's Allison is the background

Such a big boy!

2007-07-02T21:59:00.001-06:00

Watching TV, he loves cartoons already!Valley Falls in WV

Another view

Today we had Hunter's 4 month baby check and he did great! He now weighs 15lbs and 14 oz and is 26 1/4 ins in length. That means that he is in the 95% of his height so i definitly think that he will be tall like Colt. He also had to get some shots :( but he did really well! He did even better than he did when he got his 2 month ones. I just can't believe how big he is getting already.

Scare in Arcola

2007-06-24T04:42:00.000-06:00

Now, I'm sure everyone heard a little bit of what happened at the First-Mid Illinois Bank in Arcola Il (about 10 mins where I used to live and right across the street from the bank I used to work at), but I'll tell you my version of the story. Early in the morning on Thursday June 21, 2 African American men broke into a house and held up the residents by gunpoint. They then stole a van and started going towards Tuscola (about 20 mins from where I live). On the way, a policeman noticed that the windows were tinted and pulled them over. After he did, he was suspicious that there were drugs in the vehicle and called for a K-9 unit to come. Knowing that they were in trouble one of the men shot the officer in the face and started off south on I-57. Getting off at the Arcola exit they sped westward until they got to the train tracks and then lost control. The police got the driver but the passenger managed to duck into the First-Mid bank before the police could apprehend him.
In the bank, the manager told one of our close friends, whom we also go to church with, to open the safe door immediately after the man came into the bank with a gun. Once she opened the safe, the man said that she could go...praise God! This was sometime in the morning, and as the day progressed he let more and more hostages go until it got down to the manager and his grandfather being the only hostages. The gunman then let the manager's grandfather go and it was just him and the gunman then for a while.
Now, I'm not sure how it officially ended, but I've heard two different stories. One, that the gunman just gave the manager the gun and they both walked out. Two, that the gunman set the gun down to use the bathroom (however this is a very small branch and there are no bathrooms for the public so he used a potted plant) and the manager picked up the gun and then they both walked out.
Thankfully only one person (the officer) was hurt and he as far as I know is in critical but stable condition. I thank God that he was watching over Arcola that day and that the man wasn't interested in robbing the bank just having a place to hide out. For those that have worked at a bank, they know that a bank robbery is something you try not to think about but it is always in the back of your mind and is the scariest thing to think of. I'm just so happy that everything turned out all right.
On a lighter note, the day of the robbery was also Colt and mine's 4 year anniversary. We were definitly bothered by what was happening but when we knew that most of the people were out and the situation seemed to be under control, we decided to go out. We ate at the Olive Garden, yummy, and then ran a few errands up in Champaign. Nothing too big but it was really nice getting out just the two of us. Colt's grandparents watched Hunter for us.
One other really fun thing was that we got Hunter a new toy! It's a little jumper that he can sit in and bounce and play with all the fun little toys all around the top of it. Once we got it together and set him in he just started laughing and didn't stop for like 2 mins. Now, Hunter will laugh now, but you have to do something to make him, but this time it was just out of sheer enjoyment at his new toy, it was so great. So, here are some pics of him in his bouncer and a few others.

Colt does not like it when hats are worn to the side, but this was just too cute!And he didn't even bother the hat either

Apparently he was comfy though it looks rather uncomfortable

Asleep at church one morning when I was home, apparently Mike needs to jazz up his sermons...just kidding. :)

Another little (although too big for him) hat that he has

At Olive Garden for our anniversary

Hunter's new bouncer

Just look how happy he is!!!!!

He just loves it!

Back to reality

2007-06-18T01:05:00.001-06:00

The week since my mom and sis left was rather difficult, but it perked up near the end. We really didn't do too much but it was a nice week. Wednesday we went to church and then over to the Miller's to visit. Friday we went to Ryan and Blanca's to visit them and one of our friends that has moved to Cali. Saturday we were supposed to go boating with some friends from church but I was ill and we had to cancel. I was really bummed but Colt told me that the summer has just started so there will be other times.
This week we were supposed to go to Mexico for our friends Robbie and Allison's wedding, but because of how much it would cost we were unable to go, but we do wish them the best. Also, this is Colt and mine's 4 year anniversary!!!! I can't believe it. We aren't really doing anything big but it will just be nice to be together.

It was soooo hot this day and the electric went out cause of the wind and Hunter was so hot he would not stop crying until we put this wet washcloth on his head, then he just passed out.This is how he fell asleep. Sitting up against Colt's legs.

Such a handsome boy!

Isn't that the cutest picture ever?!?!

As per request, here is a pic of Manda from her prom. Love the dress and hair!!!

Recovery

2007-06-07T17:33:00.001-06:00

Baby butt crackTwisted mohawk

Bath time

pool time

Manda and Hunter at Valley FallsDad and Hunter chillin on the couch

Hunter floating in the pool in his crab float

Taking a bath in the big tub, he loves splashing!

Getting ready for Graduation.

My surgery is over and done with and now I won't have to deal with horrible gallbladder pain anymore...wooohoo!!! The surgery wasn't bad, especially since I don't remember it and the recovery wasn't too bad either. I'm a little sore still but that's to be expected.
Other good news, I had a blast in WV! The time never lasts long enough but I love going home and visiting everyone. My mom and sis came up here to pick Hunter and I up and we went back on Thursday. Friday, Manda graduated from high school I can't believe it, and Sunday we had a grad party for her. The party was so much fun and of course we all forgot to take any pics but hopefully everyone who was there will remember it. Oh, and for anyone back home who reads this try to get Jake to do the Wranglers bit....sooo funny! We had a volleyball game and man am I horrible! I used to be half decent at volleyball but I guess not playing since high school will make you a little rusty.
Monday, Cindy and the boys came over and brought some much needed baby supplies, thankyou, and even conned us into going to the Mannington pool with them. When we got home, Mom, Dad, Manda, Hunter and I went to Valley Falls to look around and eat KFC! I didn't even get a gallbladder attack. The falls were gorgeous and it was a really nice way to spend Memorial day.
Tuesday, Manda got her wisdom teeth out and she did very well with it. Although, she should have stayed in bed a little more, but oh well. While she was getting her mouth chiseled, dad and I went to Wal-Mart and got a quick set pool, since he tore down our other one, and we also went to visit Mamaw Shirley Miller. The rest of the night, mom and I worked on getting the bottom of the pool even while dad supervised.
Wednesday, Hunter and I just chilled and then we went to church...not too much going on.
Thursday, mom took me to get a massage for mother's day!!!!!!!!! It was sooo nice and relaxing. Definitly have to get another one sometime! Then, Cindy took me out to Muriels (YUMMY!!!!!!) and then to a movie. We had such a good time!
Friday, mom, manda, hunter, and i went out and did some shopping. Mom also took us to the Olive Garden, yummy, where I got a delicious chocolate tart...soooo good!
Saturday, manda, hunter and I went shopping again and then Sunday was church nap church. :)
Monday we came back and then on Wednesday I had my surgery. So I'm sure everyone is tired of reading this but I had a lot to tell!

Results

2007-05-19T08:23:00.000-06:00

These are some pics from when he was just a few days old.Look at his cute little head

Sleeping away

That was my outfit when I was a baby.

After two tests, one with the barium being horrible...like drinking elmers glue, I've now found out that I have to get my gallbladder removed. They can do it with a laproscopic outpatient surgery so that's good, but it still stinks cause this will be the third time I've been in the hospital in less than a year. The good news though is that I won't have any more attacks after the surgery so thank goodness for that. I don't know when the surgery will be, I have my consult with the surgeon June 5th so hopefully pretty soon after that. My mom has offered to come and help with Hunter while I'll be down and Colt has vacation time to take if he needs to.
Some really good news is that next week I'll be going home!!! My little sister is graduating from high school, doesn't seem possible, and Hunter and I will be going down to see it. My mom and sis are traveling here on Tuesday to come and pick us up so that I don't have to drive 9 hrs by myself with the little stinker...shows how much my mom wants me to visit! We'll be staying a little over a week, really excited about that, and then we'll come back and then I go to the dr. I'm really looking forward to it cause I miss everyone from home so much and I know they miss me, at least I hope they do...lol, and it will just be so nice to see everyone for more than just a couple of days.
So, that's pretty much it and I'm sure for my next post I'll have a ton of pics from my trip. Also, if everyone could pray that I don't have any more gallbladder attacks I would really appreciate it cause they are horrible...plus I'm not supposed to eat fatty foods, which cuts out most of my diet, but I have a chance to go to Muriels (the best Italian restaurant in WV) and I will risk having and attack so I can eat there, but if everyone prays that I don't then maybe I can get away with eating the yummy food and not being in pain!

Mother's Day

2007-05-13T22:25:00.000-06:00

Chilling outside with great-nana Bradford.My beautiful necklace that Colt got me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My beautiful boy all dressed up for Mother's Day...Like his mohawk??Look at that chubby face, soooo cute!

Family pic!

Today was my very first Mother's Day and I have to say it was GREAT! I woke up really early cause I just couldn't sleep and Colt woke up too. He came out and said since I was already awake he would go ahead and give me my mother's day stuff. He gave me two cards one from him and one from Hunter (he even tried to get Hunter to sign his but Colt said he just got mad...lol). Well I don't usually get sappy, but I must admit I got a little teary eyed when I read the cards. Then Colt said that he knew I told him not to get me a present, but that this was my very first Mother's Day and I would never have another one so he got me a present. He came out with a little black box that looked suspiciously like a box from Rogers and Hollands my fav jewelry store. I opened it up and there was this beautiful diamond and pink saphire journey necklace (one with the squiggle line of stones)!!!!!!!!!!! I was sooo surprised and it's really hard to surprise me. It's just so beautiful and I just absolutely love it! He picked it out all by himself and he did such a good job!
We then went to Colt's parents church for his mom for mother's day and that was nice; although Hunter decided that he was going to be very fussy the whole time but everyone thought it was cute. Then we went to KFC for lunch and some people may think that's not great, but I've been craving it and it was soooo yummy. Then we came home and I got a NAP....another awesome present!
Later that evening, Paul and Sharon invited us out to their house for some cake and croquet. It was really fun and I love playing croquet, especially when Sharon and Colt start sending each other's croquet balls across the road into the corn field.
Overall this first Mother's Day completely surpassed anything I had thought of, but I must say that I wish I could have also spent it with my momma cause I miss her terribly hopefully that will happen someday. I'm just so thankful for the opportunity to celebrate this wonderful holiday, not just because I got a beautiful necklace (although that does help...lol) but because I have the most beautiful boy in the world whom I love with all my heart and he just makes my life so great just by being here.

2007-05-12T19:58:00.000-06:00

Taking a nap.A pic for all the WV people. (his shirt says wv mountaineers)

His baby gang do-rag. LOL

Cute little man in a tie...so adorable!

Naked baby butt!!!

Almost all my posts have been about Hunter but this one is actually about me. For about a year I've had these pains in my upper abdomen about where my diaphram would be and they are horrible. Sometimes they don't last for very long but sometimes they last forever and they hurt so bad that I can't do anything but lay around and wait till they stop. I even had one that hurt so badly that Colt took me to the hospital but I made him turn around before we got there cause it finally stopped. Just to let you know how much they hurt I just had a baby and the contractions were a lot easier to deal with than this pain. So enough complaining, I'm doing something about it and on Tuesday I'm getting an upper-gi x-ray (i get to drink that barium stuff and everything!) so hopefully I'll find out what is the matter. I think I have an ulcer from acid reflux and probably worrying so much. Well, I hope everything will get fixed and then I won't have to take two strong perscription antacids a day and a bottle of pepto and tums every week!

Sick

2007-05-05T00:32:00.000-06:00

I know these next few are pretty much the same but they are just soooo cute!Even though he was sick, he's still so happy!
Just look at this handsome boy!
Such a cutie!
A pic I found from when I first had him. So cute and doesn't look like he's only a few hours old.

Well, this week my poor baby was sick. We had our air conditioner running and from that Hunter got a terrible stuffy nose and was having a hard time breathing and was feeling really crummy. I felt so bad for him cause there's really not much you can do for a stuffy nose in a baby and the bulb syringe wouldn't go far enough to get anything out. So, basically we just stayed in the bedroom with the door shut and the vaporizor running and finally he started feeling a little better.
Another thing that happened this week was that we got rid of our cats. I'm sure a lot of people would disagree with us doing this, but the thought of my sweet little baby crawling around and getting into cat puke or a hairball or litter just was horrible. So we found a new home for them and now I'm not so worried about him crawling.
Basically that's it, not too much going on and I'm sure my life is pretty boring to most but when I look at the pictures of my baby it seems like the best life ever!

2007-05-01T23:46:00.000-06:00

Look at that beautiful smile!!!!! Has his daddy's dimples.Kinda serious

Just relaxing in the tub

Another great smile!!!!! Such a cutie!!!!!!!!!

Pouting cause he's tired of laying on the floor.

There's not really a whole lot going on right now just the same old same old but I do have some really cute pics to show everyone.

Smilin'

2007-04-22T17:29:00.000-06:00

Sleeping on the couch

Giving momma a smile

One of the only pics of Hunter and I

One of his first trips outside.

Sleeping with momma's afgan that's over 25 years old...looks like his momma here.

Not too much is really going on right now, just typical stay at home mom stuff. We did have company over Sat. night which was really fun. Our friends Ryan and Blanca and their little baby Lola came over for dinner and cards. Lola is just a little older than Hunter so we've already decided that they will date and marry...lol. :) This week we don't have too much going on but we do have a dr's appointment for Hunter which I'm not looking forward to because he has to get his shots. I hope I don't cry more than him, but I'm not promising anything. Overall, Hunter is just the best baby. He's already sleeping 6 hours a night and is smiling away. I just love it. Here are some pictures of him and even one of Hunter and I.

Life

2007-04-13T20:18:00.000-06:00

Just a swingin

like my mohawk

look at my cute little pooh slippers

me and my chubby tummy in my bouncy chair

Things right now are going really well! Hunter is doing so good. He is growing so much I just can't believe it. He's just the best thing that has ever happened to me. Colt is also doing well. He is really enjoying his job which is really great and he loves being a daddy. I'm also doing well, a little sleep deprived but that's ok. Next month Hunter and I are going to Columbus OH and meeting my mom and sis as well as Kelly and Cindy for a weekend. It will be so nice. Then at the end of the month I'm going home cause my little sis is graduating high school. I just can't believe it. It feels like I just graduated high school but it's really been seven years. Overall my life is great and I owe it all to God.

WV Trip

2007-04-09T00:11:00.000-06:00

Mammaw Shirley Leasure holding HunterAlex, Steve, Kelly, and Hunter

Hunter's new bear

Cindy, Caleb, Hunter Luke, and Hunter William

Hunter sleeping in my old crib

A couple weekends ago, Colt Hunter and I went to WV for the weekend and it was great. Hunter did really well on the 9 hr trip to WV but we were all ready for the trip to be over. Friday, we visited with the great-grandmas and then with Jim, Kelly, Steve, and Alex. Steve and Kelly even gave Hunter a huge Coca-Cola bear that is like 10 times his size. Also, Kelly highlighted my hair which was great cause it really needed it! Saturday, mom and I went to the new Wal-Mart, very nice, and then Cindy, Caleb and Hunter Luke came over to visit and brought us diapers and wipes! Sunday was church and everyone seemed to think Hunter was the cutest thing which I have to agree! Monday we had to go back but I was so happy we got to come and visit. One thing that was also nice was that I actually got to hold my baby on Monday...ha ha ha. With grandparents great-grandmas friends and family he was hardly put down at all...needless to say he's gonna be a little spoiled.

Busy Momma

2007-03-27T19:49:00.000-06:00

ready for church

just chillin

sittin with daddy

naked baby

naked baby having tummy time

Ok, I've been trying to make a post for days but let me tell you being a mom is really hectic and I'm lucky if I can get a shower. Even though I stay really busy, Hunter is the best thing that has happened to me. He is doing so well also. He had a little colic to begin with but we got some new bottles and now he's great. He's also started to grin and the biggest thing is that he rolled over the other night. I jut can't believe how big he's getting.
Another good thing is that this Thursday we're going to WV and I'm so excited. It's gonna be great to see everyone and to show off my boy.

New Baby

2007-03-13T10:34:00.000-06:00

So far, my experience of being a mom is great; although, I've had my momma to help me for the past two weeks. I'm sure though, that when she leaves that it will still be great, just a little more tiring.
Hunter is a very good baby he's just had a lot of problem with colic and is still trying to get the difference between night and day. He has his first Dr's appt. this Thursday so we'll see how everything is going.

Hunter William Guthridge

2007-03-07T19:47:00.000-06:00

So, he's finally here and I'm so happy. this blog isn't going to be very long cause taking care of a newborn is a lot of work. Here are some specifics on my little man. Hunter William Guthridge was born on March 1, 2007 at 4:09 pm. He weighed 8lbs. 9 oz. and was 21 1/2 in. long. He was very awake and alert from the moment he was born, and I must say that he's the best looking baby I've ever seen. :) But, I am his momma...

Not Yet

2007-02-28T00:38:00.000-06:00

Well, still no baby. There will definitly be one on Friday though. They were hoping that I would go into labor before now, but since I haven't I will go ahead and be at the hospital at 6am (blah too early) on thursday for them to induce me. They will probably start me on a pitocin drip and that will start the contractions. So, no matter what Hunter will be here by Friday.
Other news, my family is coming in for the birth and I'm really excited. My mom, dad, and sister are leaving early Wednesday to get here so that they don't miss a thing; although a lot of it will be waiting for them. My dad and my sister are leaving to go back to WV on Sunday, but my mom will be staying for a couple of weeks to help me out and get adjusted to my new life. After that, Colt and I will try to come out when he has at least 5 days off which happens often.
I'm still a little nervous, but this cold that I got over the weekend is helping me not to think about what's coming cause I feel so lousy. I do have another picture from when I was pregnant around Thanksgiving. It's a pic of my friend Blanca, who already had a baby girl Lola, and I showing off our bellies...

Almost 40 weeks

2007-02-23T14:30:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm not great at taking pictures, but I'm sure that will change here in just a little while. Plus, I have my camera in my hospital bag ready for the big event and if I take it out I know I will forget it.
I'm still very pregnant! I'm currently almost 40 weeks, my due date is the 25th, and still no sign of baby. The doctor decided that if I don't deliver before then, that he will induce me Thursday, March 1st so it's up to Hunter now.
We have his room pretty much finished. The walls are painted and the curtains are up, but we still have the computer in there and nothing on the walls, but that will come in time.
I have to say that I am very nervous about the whole thing. Not so much about the pain, but about having to be in the hospital (I hate hospitals) and then having this little person who is completely dependent on me...it's a little nerve racking. Not to mention the fact that I'm going to breastfeed which is best for the baby, but I really don't want to do it. I'm very excited for him to get here (Colt can't wait), I just don't deal well with the unexpected.
So, this is probably my last post before I have the baby so the next one I will definitly have tons of pics of Mr. Hunter William Guthridge.

Could be soon!

2007-02-14T18:53:00.000-06:00

Well I went to the dr today and I am 1 cm dialated and Hunter is fully engaged in my pelvis so I could go into labor at any time....thank goodness. I'm excited to be a mother but I'm really tired of being pregnant. I still haven't figured out all the stuff with this blogging thing so stay with me while I figure it all out.

Still Preggers

2007-02-09T04:01:00.000-06:00

So far, I just keep getting bigger and bigger. I'm 37 1/2 weeks pregnant and I feel like I've been pregnant for my entire life. I know this will soon end and when I hold my new baby I will forget about all the annoying pain and sickness, but for right now I'm miserable. The one thing that I do cherish from being pregnant, aside from eating whatever I want, is feeling the baby move inside me. That's the one thing I will miss the most.