Snow...... snow...... snow

Couple pictures from our first snow........... maybe 2"

Joseph playing with his trucks............

Our second snow that arrived Tuesday............ Wed AM
Total might have been somewhere between 7 and 10 inches.


Joseph throwing a snowball at Dan

He found a big chunk of snow to throw................

Joseph sitting in snow fort. We used some ice cream pails........ didn't
really take time to fill in the gaps because it was getting too cold




Any way he seemed to like it................ not knowing what it could
look like

Today it is too cold to go out. Earlier this morning it was -4 with the windchill being -23. Now it looks like the temp has dropped a few degrees.

Thanksgiving in Indiana

Turkey made out of butter. I beheaded the one on our table.

Almost to pretty to eat.

We failed to get everyone's picture. We usually like to
try to get the families together but didn't this time. Didn't even

get individual random shots.

There is Janet and her 2nd daughter Kara

Joseph with his cousin's daughter Skyler. That would be his first cousin once removed................

Joseph is joined on the couch with Skyler and her brother Caleb.

Joseph doesn't look too happy........ maybe because Skyler had
a hold of his hand.

Tired after not having a nap all day............. afraid he would miss
something or someone coming by. This was probably on Fri.

Grandpa reading a story........... either Sat or Sun night

Monday morning before we headed back home to Wisconsin
Joseph with Grandpa and Grandma

All of us together................

More toys.................... John Deere trucks, trailors, tractor/mower, four wheeler and cows.

At Randy's

Went up to Randy's for opening weekend.

Joseph got his birthday gift from them as we did see them
near his birthday. As you can see he is very pleased with

his new John Deere tractor and cows.

They decided to do Thanksgiving that Sunday. So we enjoyed
having Thanksgiving with Dan's side also......... don't get to do
that very often. I mean having Thanksgiving with both of

our families since we usually alternate each year.
No luck on getting a deer......... we even stay through Monday

afternoon so Dan could get another try. He did see a 70 pound
doe on Saturday morning but let it go by with hopes of getting
a bigger one.

Got a few pictures of those there but not everyone.
I forgot to take pictures after the food was set out or

those good pictures while everyone is eating........

A happy family but looks a bit tired after a big and long
weekend.

Joseph at Playschool and Tereasa's visit

Dan's sister Tereasa, husband Jim and Rebecca came down
for a visit. Took them down by the lake










Joseph ready to go to school. The Mukwanago High School 6 days of playschool on Tues and Thurs in November for the cost of $5. I guess it
was part of classes for the high schoolers.













Here he is at his table. Next to him is Natilie... she was in our earlier play group. She lives next door to Blaine (Anderson).
Blaine is setting at the next table over.







We stayed after mtg for dinner............... so no nap. Joseph took a
cat nap on the way to gospel mtg.

Lana has brought it to my attention............

I've gotten behind again on blogging. Health wise we are all doing fine............ did have a cold over Thanksgiving time. Pregnancy seems to be coming along fine and as expected. The discomforts this time are more than I can handle sometimes................ I will not go into detail. Doctor says I need to lay around more (LOL) and on my left side to help circulation. I guess I have around 9 more weeks to go..............

Now I will catch up by posting some Thanksgiving pictures and the latest/first major snow.

Good Doctor Visit

Dan got a good report Monday from his doctor visit at the VA in Madison. He had a echo cardiogram from last time that they said was almost normal. His heart had shrunk to almost normal size. If the echo cardiogram that he had this time is as good or better then he won't have to go back for a year. So............... his medicine stays the same which he will have to stay on.......... period. Right now the doctor doesn't feel there is a need for valve replacement but in time he will need valve repair. So with the medicine slowing the heart down so it wouldn't work so hard help the enlarged heart to shrink and this has improve the mitral valve function (the leakage part)....................... this is what I'm understanding.

So the above was good for us to hear considering a year ago we were figuring on an immediate surgery to replace the mitral valve. So we hope for the best....................

Last week Joseph discovered this snake in the garage. It was
where the door closes and curled up. It must have been a bit
cold cause it took it some time to start moving. Dan didn't
notice the snake until Joseph started pointing at.







Not sure what kind it was.......... guess just a garden or such.
Joseph liked watching it and then got brave and started to
touch it. I don't care if it was a harmless snake I didn't want
him touching it. Plus I'm not ready for that............. where the
little guy starts bringing in the bugs, frogs, snakes and who
knows what. My luck it will be the girl who does that.





Last week Dan got me a cheesecake from the store for my birthday. One from Cheesecake Factory........ my favorite -
White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle. Yummmmy!!!!!!!







I couldn't pass up taking a picture of the two boys getting ready for
meeting. I thought it was cute how they looked alike.

Sunday Oct 11th

Sunday was our anniversary.............. 5 years. I wonder if the next five years will go as fast as the last five.
Dan at the last minute wanted to go to the Fireside, which is a dinner and play of some sort, but the only tickets they had left was singles and we would have to sit one in front of the other. So maybe another time...............
We went to the Cheesecake Factory instead. The meal was delicious and the cheesecake was beyond what words can describe........................ absolutely yummy.

Saturday Pumpkins and Hayride

Saturday we went over to the farm on Hwy 83 again to look at pumpkins, other fall items and a hayride. It was very
cold (about 40 or less) and we had a some snow flakes.


This time Daddy went with us.


Joseph went through the kiddie maze again. This time he was
not so sure about passing by scarecrow.

On his way out







A couple family shots

















They had some big pumpkins there and some decorations............

We tried to get a video of everyone feeding the cows. Joseph threw his corn once over the
fence but the other times it landed on this side.

Misc Pictures

A couple of the many pictures I took of Joseph back in August.

Dan mentioned yesterday that I use to take pictures all the time
of Joseph

I think I've heard before that with each child the pictures get
less.

Should be interesting trying to take Joseph and Baby Girl Swonger
together.

Heather Boyle had a reunion for our play group.

In the picture is Blain (Anderson), Jackelyn, Caroline

and Joseph. Missing is Natalie...... she was there but
got a bit upset before the picture. I didn't spell Jackelyn

right and I'm being too lazy to look it up. (Sorry)

Joseph with great-grandma Swonger

We went up to see Grandma Swonger on labor day.

Also Aunt Mary, Great-Grandma Swonger and us.

We got our business name put on the work van this past
week.

Maybe we won't have to spend as much now on advertising
in the paper.

A Girl.................

According to the ultrasound, if you know what your looking at, the baby is a girl. She was very active during the testing taking a few punches with arms and feet. All the measurements they take were right in the range that they look for. So I think that means everything is normal........... which Randy S questioned right off being its our baby. I was at 19 weeks and 4 days and the test showed the baby being at 19 weeks and 3 days and 11 oz.
I didn't get to see my doctor because he was at the hospital delivering babies. He was on call for some that were off. So we will see him next week.
I should be very happy that everything looks normal and healthy, even to know the gender. But now I worry that maybe it really is a boy. Guess I would worry that I might not have something to worry about. Its just me...........


So now we just need to think about a name..................

Here are a couple pictures. I had three but one disappeared on me. They aren't as clear as the ones we got with Joseph.

Prediction................

So what do you think of the gender prediction ways they have??? Someone gave us two bags of girl clothes. They are so adorable and cute................ I want a girl. So we thought maybe it is a sign...............
Someone suggested that I check the Chinese calender............ I did and it says we will have a boy. I even tried the string with my ring to see which direction it would go.............. it says we are having a boy.

Dan says........ why don't we just wait till tomorrow and see what the ultrasound says.

Really either boy or girl will be fine. I just hope for a healthy baby but we will accept what comes. Its just those clothes got me longing for a girl.

Potty Power

I got this DVD at the library for Joseph to watch. He likes to watch Bob and Thomas but lately I've tried to get things like how fire engines work, dolphins and trains. So when I went to show him the video he said he didn't want to watch it, I asked why and he said because it was terrible video. He hadn't even seen it! Any way we watched it and he was not impressed.
Now this morning I put big boy underwear on him and he is sobbing because he doesn't like them. Some how I feel a bit mean. Poor guy. He sits on the toilet and does nothing then I put the diaper on him and he does his stinky.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY.....................

Happy 55th Anniversary to Dad and Mom. They are spending their anniversary at Madisonville convention........... where they often do. Thanks for being the best parents one can have.


SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS............ Happy Birthday to you all and best wishes
5th Shauna
16th Clinton
17th Ryan


Dan had a dream last night that I had the baby. I asked him if it was a boy or a girl. He said his name was Micheal and he was _ _ _ _ _. (not our skin color) He said he was shocked when he saw the baby. I told him the hospital must have made a mistake because I sure didn't.

Another Doctor Visit Today

I had a doctor visit this afternoon late. Dan met us there to keep Joseph company. Then we finished the day with a little league baseball game. Got to see Coby, Trevor and Denver play........... all did really great..... they won. We are late in the season as this is their last week.
Guess it is not too soon to let everyone know we are adding to the family tree in February. We are in our 11th week so soon to finish the first trimester. We are a bit nervous this time since we had a miscarriage and now with our age. They tell me with my age I have a 1 in 20 chance to have a downs or we could look at it this way a 4% chance. It is their job to warn us and offer all the test that we can take. With Joseph we refused the test because we decided whatever happened happened. I still feel the same way yet I wonder if I might want to know so I can be prepared. Yet can one really be prepared??
I got to hear a heart beat this time right along beside mine. Well..... a little distance between the two and especially in speed. My first visit at 7 plus week I saw the heart beat on the ultra sound. They did an ultra sound early since we lost the one in November.
So............ we will try to keep you posted.

I'm really wondering since Facebook if anyone ever looks at the blogs anymore???

Doctor visit yesterday

Joseph had his 3 year old check up. Doctor said he was healthy and doing very good and that he would see us next year.
He weighed 37 pounds and is 39 1/4" tall. He is now in the 50% on his weight and in the 80% on his height. Last year he was still in the 90% on everything.

Now we got to push this potty training thing. He seems to have no interest.

Joseph's birthday gathering

We had a few here for Josephs birthday.
Actually they are probably the ones that live closest to us.
With the size of our apartment it worked out fine.
My planning would have had a very full apartment.
We will have to wait a few years before we celebrate big.




He picked the Thomas cake....... not much to choose from

since we don't know most of the characters they had.


Just a couple pictures of Joseph opening gifts.


He got a couple earth moving equipment, a truck,
tool box with tools and a small semi and carrier for
a John Deere.

We should have got a video of the whole birthday song.
Didn't think of it till after taking a couple pictures. So
we got the tail end of it.