The Niceler Family Blog

Tate is ONE!!!

2010-11-15T18:02:00.000-08:00

My little baby getting bigger every day

J.K. Rowling- I owe you one

2010-08-10T17:38:00.000-07:00

Did you ever envision something in your future and then realize all of sudden, years later, that that thing you'd been thinking about and looking forward to had actually come true? Well that is what just happened to me... Not one hour ago...

Now it is no secret that when I fall for something-I go down hard! Harry Potter has been one of the great fictional heroes of my life-I just love that boy. And over the years, even before I was married, I pictured myself sittin' cozy on a bed with the kiddos getting lost in the world of Harry Potter. We'd toss around words like Hogwarts, Quidditch and Muggles. We would loath Slytherin and that nasty Professor Snape, and cheer on the Gryffindors to a House Cup Victory. Ron and Hermione would become some of our dearest friends and we would fall in love with Harry Potter and his wizarding world together. And tonight, after almost a month of reading, Ryan H and I finally finished "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone". He loved it! He loved the broomsticks, the magical moving chess pieces, the golden snitch-all of it!! (Ryan and Adelaide actually hugged when they found out Gryffindor had won the house cup). And as we high fived our literary triumph and made plans to start in on the next book as soon as possible, I realized as I kissed them goodnight, a little dream of mine had become a reality. I got to share something special to me with my kids and it became special to them too. Wow, just wow...

Age of Aquarium

2010-07-14T11:44:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful day at the Georgia Aquarium last Friday with Grammy.

We'd never been before and it was pretty cool. Couldn't get enough of the touch pool. The kids loved the slimy and suprisngly friendly sting rays!

A Little Something I've Been Working on For 10 Years

2010-06-21T13:51:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary Ryan!!

Just Some Pictures of What We've Been Doing

2010-04-20T08:55:00.000-07:00

Well I was trying my darndest get these pictures in the order I wanted but it is sooo not happening. I've already spent to0 much time on what was supposed to "just a quick post" that I just have to move on. So in a nut-Turner Field had a free Open House. The kids got to run the bases and even sit in the dug out. One of the pictures is Ryan, his friend Jack (in the same class and on the same baseball team) and Adelaide standing on home plate. The Tucker Law Enforcement also had a free open house of sorts. Ryan tried on the swat team gear very cool. We went to WV for Spring Break. Tate's favorite place to hang-snuggled up to grandma in the rocking chair. And yes even though life his busy with 3 kids, they do still get bathed occasionally. I needed to document the moment of course since it is a rarity when all 3 of them are clean at the same time:)

Dont' ya just love free stuff and fresh smelling children...

Adelaide Is 4!!!!

2010-03-28T20:56:00.000-07:00

Yes it's been over a month since our sweet little Adelaide turned the big 4. But I figure it's never to late to share some thoughts on how much I love this little curly blond gal.

She's funny and silly and cracks us up everyday. She loves pink and painting her nails but also insisted on being a Zombie for Halloween like her big brother (the year before she was Darth Vader, also her choice). And speaking of big brothers-She is fiercely protective of Ryan H.!! I have actually seen her step in front of him in order to stand up to whatever she perceived as a possible threat to him. She has done this multiple times. She loves little Tate (or "Tatey" as she calls him) too. And although he's rocked her world a bit, she is never short on hugs and kisses for him.

She is thoughtful. She is tough. She is kind. She is stubborn. She is mine!!!

And I can't get enough:)

Tate's Blessing Day

2010-02-09T18:03:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful weekend with family and friends to celebrate Tate's special day.

Happy Birthday Ryan H. We are So Proud of You!

2010-01-26T18:53:00.001-08:00

Ryan Hinckley turned 7 just one month ago and I thought I would share 7 reason why I love this boy!

1 He loves to laugh-we have fun laughing together

2 He is responsible with Tate-I can always count on him to hold Tate when I need some help or if he's crying and I can't get to him. Ryan will even go get him without even being asked

3 He plays with Adelaide

4 He is sporty and likes to play soccer and swim and jump on the trampoline and be outside

5 He likes to be silly

6 He wants to do well in school, not just grade wise but he genuinely wants to be good for his teachers. He was even selected to be both the Bobcat of the month and then Citizen of the Semester!!!!

7 Deep down I know he is a real Mommas Boy!!

Weekend In Wild & Wonderful West Virginia

2010-01-26T18:09:00.000-08:00

On a whim we decided to go to Morgantown for the 3 day weekend. We were hoping for snow but got rain instead. Of course getting to go the WVU vs Syracuse basketball game made up for the lack of sled riding. We lost by one point. Sigh... But it was still a blast!

(On a side note-yes we realize we are major WVU goobers. between the hats, the shirts, the cups, the key chains, magnets, pom poms and bumper stickers we could have our own Mountaineer souvenir store. in fact we'd probably love it. being surrounded by blue & gold paraphernalia all day, listening to the marching bands version of the fight song over &over again. that would be as close to heaven as I think we could get, yes that would be Almost Heaven indeed...).

Anyway, even though the drive is pretty long we always enjoy stopping for a family picture in front of the beautiful New River Gorge Bridge. It's become a tradition. It's been neat to see the progression of our family. Ryan and I stopped there on our honeymoon and now over 9 years later we find ourselves standing there in a picture with 3 kids. How did that happen??!!

Thanks Dad and Dara for your hospitality we had a wonderful time!!

Why Doesn't Anyone Tell You

2009-12-28T20:14:00.000-08:00

That having 3 kids really feels like you have 23 kids??? Or maybe they did and I just didn't listen...

Okay don't get me wrong. I am loving our new little guy. In fact I feel better than I have in awhile. But wow- this whole being a mom thing is actually starting to feel like work!!! Go figure...

I'll admit-I think he's pretty cute
First Christmas

Tate Robert Niceler

2009-11-06T17:32:00.001-08:00

Summer Slide Show

2009-09-04T18:15:00.001-07:00

Just to show you that since June I really have been doing other things besides watching the New Moon trailer...

I Don't Think I Took A Single Breath!!!

2009-06-01T08:04:00.000-07:00

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON trailer

Is it November Yet??!!

Back On the Scene

2009-05-13T10:41:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've posted. I guess you could say my life got a bit turned upside down when I found out at the end of February that I was.......PREGNANT.....yes that's right pregnant with baby #3! So after a few months of a doing my best to get a grasp on my new unexpected reality of 3 children and with the help of a lot of friends and family(and let's not forget that ever so important generic form of Zoloft) I am finally starting to feel "normal" or at least functional:)
In spite of the stress though a lot of really wonderful things have happened over the last few months. Ryan and I went on a 3 day getaway to New Orleans and Mississippi (thanks Molly for watching the kids). After that we got back in the car again and went to Cape San Blas Florida with ALL of the Nicelers for a spring break family reunion. This was a fantastic trip! It actually felt like a real vacation. And the kids had a blast playing in the sand, going crabbing and hanging out with their cousins. Then my husband had a birthday. Then Ryan Hinckley had Field Day at school and won 2 first place ribbons and we are so pleased to announce that Adelaide's hair is finally starting to grow back:)She also got to ride a horse for the first time with her friends at our home preschool. Although as fun as the horse field trip was I think I am more excited about the hair.
So that is a brief update of life at the Nicelers House. Or as I sometimes like to call it- Crazy Town:)

Happy Birthday Adelaide!!

2009-03-14T15:54:00.000-07:00

Okay so exactly one month ago today our sweet little curly blond girl turned 3!!! Yes she is 3!!! And has been for 30 whole days. It seems like just last week I was rolling over in bed around 4 in the morning when my water broke... 10 hours later we had our baby girl. She loves books and playing in the sandbox. She cracks us up every day. The other day she got mad at me cause I accidentally bumped her when I was changing her clothes. She looked at me, put her hands on her hips and said "I'm telling on you. Gramaw is gonna be so mad at you!" How can you not love this girl???!!!

Here we are at the circus the morning of her birthday. Later that afternoon we had some friends over for cake. It wasn't really a party but we couldn't resist the hats.

Georgia Phenomenon

2009-03-01T14:19:00.000-08:00

Today at church it started to snow! You should have seen all of the kids when they came out of primary. You would hav thought it was Christmas all over again. And believe it or not it has kept snowing all afternoon. I have many other things to post about (Adelaide's birthday for one) But I just had to share our fun, snowy afternoon. We did our best to find weather appropriate clothing but when this happens once every few years you just don't have all the gear to keep warm and dry. In spite of the wet and cold we indulged in multiple snowball fights, made snow angels and built the kids first SNOWMAN!!! (we dressed him like a Mountaineer of course)!

10 Things

2009-02-22T07:21:00.000-08:00

A long while ago my friend did a post about 10 of her favorite things that start with the Letter D. I read it and enjoyed it so much I volunteered for a letter. She randomly assigned me R. So here are 10 of my favorite things that start with the Letter R.

1. Roller Coasters-b/c who doesnt' love a good thrill right?! I still remember my first roller coaster, the Matterhorn at Disneyland. I was about 7 and road it with my mom. And what better way to start my love of thrill rides than doing it with a fun loving red head and an abominable snowman. Now don't get me wrong. There is a lot of fear that goes into this whole thrill process. Someone usually convinces me to just "wait in line" with them. I hesitantly agree because they assure me that I don't really have to go on it. When we get to the front I can always just "not get on". Yeah right! Somehow, I always manage to wind up strapped in with the shoulder harness firmly clicked into place before I realize I never wanted to do this. And then it is too late because we are slowing making our way up the first hill. When we finally reach the summit, I actually begin to lose consciousness-whether these momentary black outs are from altitude poisoning or the fact that I've been hyperventilating since I sat down remains a mystery-But before I know it we are plunging straight down into what feels like the center of the earth. It is about this time when I realize I am not dying, I am actually having fun. And then it is over, I feel great and anxiously await to start the entire process over on the next one.

2. Road Trips-over the years I have had the opportunity to go on hundreds of fabulous road trip adventures. I've piled in with parents, siblings, my dog, roommates, kids, my husband, best friends and have been to some really cool places. Sometimes it's been to somewhere new. And sometimes it's on to an old faithful like Morgantown. Sometimes it's in a car, sometimes it's on a coach and once even on a "chicken bus". Each trip I take is special in it's own way and I am so grateful for all of the amazing things I've seen and the amazing people I've shared them with.

3. The Red Bellied Woodpecker-These are truly a lovely bird. And you might be surprised how common they are. If you live in a neighborhood with trees chances are you've got red bellied woodpeckers living right under your nose. Just take a few minutes when you're outside doing yard work or on a walk. I often see them up high on the trunks. Really they are there and they are fantastic!

4. Reading-One of my favorite things to do in the world is put the kids to bed, grab a great book, get all cozied up in my favorite chair and read. It is especially nice when it is chilly and raining outside and I can snuggle up under Me Maw's afghan.

5. The Ritchey's-My best friend Mandy and her entire family really made my Jr high and high school experience not only bearable but enjoyable for me. Mandy's house was the place where we'd all hang out. I have such happy memories spending many o Friday nights there playing games, eating yummy food and having fun. Plus they took me to the beach with them for 8 summers in a row!!!

6. Reese's Peanut butter Cups-I feel no further explanation is needed.

7. Rain-There is nothing better than waking up to a heavy downpour on a Saturday morning when you have no place to be. I love hearing the pitter patter on my roof and windows even before I open my eyes. And then it is positively fabulous when I realize I can stay in my cozy bed, listen to the rain and let it lull me back to sleep.

8. Rachel-my niece- What is not to love about this adorable 3 year? She's cute, she likes to cuddle and she always says something that makes me laugh. Plus as Anne of Green Gables would say she is my daughter's "kindred spirit". They were born just 13 days apart and are great friends. Such a blessing.

9. Running-now I am using the term "running" rather loosely b/c it's more like jogging. And I actually don't really "love" it. But it is something that has brought me a lot of satisfaction. And I've also run further than I ever thought I could. And even though I often want to cry while I'm in the middle of it(sometimes I actually have), I also always feel great when I'm done.

10.Ryan D, Ryan H and Robert.

Husband, son, and dad.

Again no further explanation needed...

The Next Oscar Blandi?? I Think Not!!

2009-02-06T18:40:00.000-08:00

About a month ago our sweet Adelaide had herself a scissor party!! Is this a right of passage that all little girls must go through? I don't know but I've stopped asking why. These pictures really don't do it justice. This was a serious hack job! It actually brought tears to my eyes. But hey it grows back right?!

Happy Birthday Ryan H.

2009-01-16T11:16:00.000-08:00

Please indulge me with another slide show...
With Ryan's birthday being 2 days after Christmas I have a feeling we'll be doing these back to back slide shows annually.
We are so happy to have this fun and healthy 6 year old boy in our lives. If Ryan keeps growing the way he is, he will not only be taller than his mom(not too hard) but his dad as well-something he thinks is really cool.
Ryan loves to play and be silly and have a good time. I've loved watching him grow and learn. He can be very determined sometimes. He actually spent an entire afternoon teaching himself how to jump rope. Lemme tellya He's pretty darn good at it. And I am so thankfully for those moments when we share a good hardy laugh together.
We had a fun birthday party at our house with some buddies. I think the hit of the afternoon events was not the cake(thank you Emma for so thoughtfully making that for Ryan's special day) or even the presents but watching Gramaw and daboyz get down to The Blacked Eye Peas during the dance off. I never knew my mother-in-law had such moves.
That night we went as a family(about 20 of us total) to Medieval Times. I highly recommend this fabulous jousting tournament. Of course I've done it now, My son turns 6 and he gets knighted by the King, how am I ever to top that? Chick File is just not gonna cut it next year...

A Bounteous Christmas-in Toys, Food and Love

2009-01-10T14:03:00.001-08:00

1st and Goal

2009-01-03T09:40:00.000-08:00

Why write about Christmas, A birthday or even Grandparents when I can write about COLLEGE FOOTBALL....It's Bowl Week Baby!!!

I'll admit I'm kind of on jersey overload right now. Over the past 2 days I've probably watched (now this is a rough estimate mind you) about 15 hours worth of Bowl Games. And yet, I am genuinely sad that there are no games on today. I mean there's always the NFL wild card if I need a fix but college ball is where it's at for me (not as many egos and ridiculous touchdown dances, plus I just really can't stand that they don't stop the clock on the 1st down). Now just so ya know, in all this football watching I have in fact managed to not entirely neglect my family, my running or my house. I've washed the dishes, played multiple board games with my son, read stories to my daughter, jogged around the neighborhood and done 3 loads of laundry. It really is kind of amazing the things you can accomplish during half time ...

And To You Your Wassail Too

2008-12-24T06:29:00.000-08:00

To all of our blog readers out there...

We are so grateful to have to you in our lives. To have family and friends to share in our joys and occasional pains like say oh loss of a finger...We count our blessings this year and they are many because of you. We hope all of you are surrounded by loved ones this holiday season and are filled with the spirit of Christmas. I don't think anyone could say it better than Clement C Moore and so I will send my greeting in his famous words

"Happy Christmas to All and to All a Good Night".

5 feet tall is very respectable in Oz

2008-12-08T16:53:00.001-08:00

The other day my son Ryan was feeling quite put out because we would not let him have a soda with dinner like Ryan my husband. We told him he could have milk or water but not soda-it's for grown ups. He turned to me and said "You get to have soda". I said that's b/c I'm a grown up. He then looked me straight in the eye, cocked his chin and in his perfect 5 year old tone said

"Oh yeah, then why are you so small??!!" I wanted to be angry with his attitude but what can you do when they say something so unexpected and yet so true... We just laughed our heads off. He still didn't get the soda but eventually got over it.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-02T18:02:00.000-08:00

I love Thanksgiving!! It is one of my absolute favorite holidays. In fact every year I say to myself "Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday!" But then Christmas comes and I get caught up in all the twinkly lights and red berried wreaths... So really I just love this whole season. It does just make me grateful to have family and friends to share in all this cheer. We celebrated at Molly's with 30 people. I think we counted 13 kids(hooray for the trampoline) and 15 adults. It couldn't have been more perfect. Except we did really miss not having Michael and his fam with us(we're counting on you guys next year!). We grew up with a huge buffet style Thanksgiving dinner and so these big, but casual affairs feel like home. Even down to the paper plates! For some reason though I'm not the best picture taker on Thanksgiving. Birthdays, Halloween, I'm on it. But not Thanksgiving. So here are a few pics snapped by my sister's Mother-in-law Barbara. Also, I think this year will be forever remembered in our family as the Thanksgiving Ryan H. spent in his jammies. I dunno why we never got around to making him get dressed. It seemed whenever there was a break in the action we couldn't find his jeans or something...

Bobcat of the Month.

2008-11-25T19:00:00.000-08:00

here he is with a well deserved Bobcat of the Month bowl of ice cream

Every month the teachers at Brockett Elementary choose one child from their classroom to be the Student of the Month. They get a catered lunch from Chick File with the Principal, a T-shirt and are featured on the Brockett School morning news. We are so proud of Ryan for being the first child from his class to be chosen as the "Bobcat of the Month". He was selected by his teachers for this special honor for good behavior, hard work and getting along well with others!!

Way to go Ryan!! You're our favorite Bobcat!! (I think he gets it from me...)

Twilight Movie Night

2008-11-25T14:00:00.000-08:00

Yes, I went and saw it. Opening night of course with a group of gals who are Twilight crazy just like me. And I'm not ashamed to admit I've seen it twice now. I just couldn't not go again. I went on a whim last night by my self. I enjoy going to the movies alone every now and then and never give a thought to what anyone thinks. But for some reason last night I felt the need to tell the guy at the ticket counter that I've already seen it once with friends. I went on about how I was there with a big group the first time and we had so much fun but I just wanted to come alone this time. And then I just kept going. I don't know why but it started to sound a little pathetic, like I was trying to prove to this young 20 year old college kid that I had friends. To put in end to my rambling and to help the next person in line he just looked at me and said "It's okay, I like to see movies by myself too... "So I walked away red faced into the theater. But anyway, I am so glad I did because I liked it even better the second time around. Can I say that I love it as much as the book-not really. But there are parts of it I LOVED!! And Robert Pattinson took my breath away as Edward-he can rescue me from vicious vampires anytime.... Here are a few pictures of us at the movie on opening day and me and my friend Sesika at the Twilight Moms luncheon a few weeks ago. I proudly admit that I triumphed in the Trivia contest. Who knows why I remember what color Charlie's cabinets are or what Bella's blood smells like to Edward but I do. And because of my mad random Twilight remembering skills, I won a mug from the actuall town of Forks!

!

I Call it A Healthy Appreciation (b/c I can quit whenever I want...)

2008-11-14T05:54:00.001-08:00

So I realize that when I fall for something I fall pretty hard

(ie Twilight, Harry Potter, ER in 95, Regis and Kelly, chocolate, Balthazar Getty and the list goes on...)I just become obsessed and can't stop thinking about it. It sort of consumes me for a little while until I move on to the next indulgent worthy item . But even then those things never really leave me, they just become apart of me and are there to stay. Now I know what you're thinking, and I whole heartily agree, it is a very good thing I've never had a drop of alcohol in my life... So this Summer I somehow got completely HOOKED on So You Think You Can Dance. That's the thing, I never plan these addictions, they just sort of happen. And last night I indulged in my latest obsession to the fullest extent allowed by law and saw all of my fabulous dancing friends live on stage at the Gwinnett Arena! That's right!! SYTYCD Tour 2008 was mine for the taking and it was AWESOME!! Can I just say how ridiculously giddy I was!!! And it wasn't just me okay, with the exception of a few dads wondering how in the world their teenage daughters dragged them into this, all of the people there were going crazy! There were lots of screams and cheers, loud hand clappings, boisterous ovations and even a few tears...And one of the most fun parts of the whole evening was getting to share all of this ridiculous giddiness with my sister Molly. Seriously, we had a blast. And, the next best part is we both got to see our favorite numbers from the season.

(on a side note, Bleeding Love is a surprisingly great song to jog too)
Enjoy!!

My Trick or Treaters

2008-11-11T05:53:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween!!

Anakin Skywalker-the Darth Vader to be...

Yes my daughter actually chose to be Darth Vader. And she was ecstatic about it. She loves Darth Vader and did a pretty good imitation

the ice cream man gets a scoop

we even won prizes for most creative and best all around

Some Pictures From Our Weekend in WV October 2008

2008-11-01T16:32:00.000-07:00

Our favorite stop on the 10 hr drive. The New River Gorge Bridge

My dad with his grandkids

Gramps and his soccer buddy

My mom with her kids

Welcome Baby Madelyn

Molly, Wendy, Michael (the sibs)

My brother Michael, his wife Priscilla and two kids Parker and baby Madelyn

Lunch Buddies

2008-10-22T11:40:00.000-07:00

Last week we went as a family to have lunch with Ryan at his school. Lemmetellya, if you have not had cafeteria food in awhile, do not feel bad. It really is the same as it ever was except now, instead of putting the food directly on to the tray they put it in disposable containers which then go on to the tray. But even after eating what I'm hoping was a rib sandwich, we had a lovely time. And Ryan was thrilled to see us. Although I don't think he particularly enjoyed me hovering over him reminding him to "chew and swallow', "eat your cantaloupe" and then wiping his mouth... Really, the boy is almost 6and has been successfully eating lunch on his own at school for 3 months. But as soon as I sat down next to him to eat another side of me just took over. Even as I was pointing to his food saying "one more bite" or "finish your chocolate milk" I knew deep down that I just needed to leave the boy alone and let him eat in peace. But the mothering part of me simply would not allow it. It was like I turned into some kind of pestering mother robot from cafeteria hell. A switch was turned on and it could not be turned off until I was lead safely out of the building. In fact I was close to telling the children across from us to use their napkins... Well, I've learned my lesson on 2 counts: If we do that again I will (1) bring my own lunch and I will (2) not sit next to Ryan...

It's Almost Too Much!!!

2008-10-10T05:18:00.000-07:00

Twilight HD Exclusive Trailer

Melissa this is for you:)

How to Count to Ten Without All of your Fingers

2008-10-01T15:52:00.000-07:00

Yes, the rumors are true, my husband Ryan really did permanently lose part of his left middle finger after getting it caught in a big metal door at work. We've both agreed that somehow the loss would've been much cooler if for instance, while assisting one of the dentists, a patient bit him in a fit of angry rage, or perhaps he was rescuing a bear cub from a burning forest and things got little out of hand, but no, it was just a big metal door...no enraged patient, no frightened bear cub... just Ryan and the door and the gust of wind that changed our lives forever... In years to come Ryan will be known as the "The Grampa with the funny finger" or maybe even "Amputee Grampee". Whichever they choose I'm sure we will cherish the endearment.

On a more serious note, Ryan had surgery on Friday and it went really well. And things seem to getting back to normal in just over a week since this crazy accident. He is in very little pain these days and is in pretty good spirits. So we are feeling very grateful. Though I think Ryan is a little disappointed he won't be able to flip people off with quite as much gusto as before...

We also want to give a HUGE thank you to everyone who helped us out in various ways from the ER to OR and back home again: Thanks to Ryan's fellow Campbell Dental employees(Dr Bryce Carter for keeping Ryan from going into shock until the ambulance got there and wrapping up is finger, Ursula for calling me and letting me know what had happened and giving me directions to the Hospital, Tamara & Marina for picking up the slack while Ryan's been gone and of course Dr Jason Cambell himself for paying for Workman's comp all these years-it was not in vain -and for being so supportive). And thanks to Carolyn for the great referral. We also can not forget Cheyenne, Amber, Cecily and Molly for watching the kids (we really couldn't have done this without you, thank you does not seem a big enough word!!) . And finally we just want to let you know how much we truly appreciate all of you for your thoughts & prayers, emails, phone calls and genuine concern for our family!

Wardrobe Malfunction

2008-09-22T10:17:00.001-07:00

You know you have a lot on your mind when you realize you've spent the entire afternoon doing errands with your pants on inside out.... Yes I really did this...

My Advice-FLOSS!!

2008-09-16T09:44:00.000-07:00

Here's me lookin "Saweet" in the dentist chair awaiting a root canal. Yes, that's right, I am 31 and I've already had 2 root canals. In a way you could say I am very fortunate in this situation seeing how my brother -in -law Jason is my dentist. It saves us some money and I can always tease him in front of the staff if he needs it:) You know my mouth contains the very first cavity he ever filled??!! Yes, while he was in dental school he filled a cavity in my back right molar. It was quite an event considering he was one of the first in his class to do one. Several of his fellow students came over to ohh and ahh over "Campbells Class 2". Whatever that means, something very cool in the world of dentistry I guess. But I don't really care I just like to pretend I'm not there. Which is why through all of these dental experiences I've learned to be very grateful for one thing in particular- my ipod. I just lay back, turn the volume up as high as it will go, close my eyes and find a happy place. At one point during the procedure I honestly and truly thought I was going to pass out. I started to get light headed and very dizzy. I said to myself, "at least you're already lying down, even if I do lose consciousness no one will notice". Thankfully Dave Matthews kept me just enough above the surface to be relaxed but almost entirely unaware of what was going on.

Thanks Jason and his assistant Majorie! As much as I don't like going to the dentist I really appreciate the work you did for me!!

Hard Decision

2008-09-16T09:37:00.000-07:00

After a lot of tears and several swiss cake rolls. We agreed that right now is not the best time for our family to have a dog. We took her back to the man who rescued her on Saturday. We miss her but we hope and pray such a sweet dog will be adopted by someone whose situation is more suited for her.

First Day

2008-09-08T12:09:00.000-07:00

Pretty in Pink on her first day of school. She goes 2 days a week for a few hours. She's been twice and so far has really enjoyed it. It is a Chilren's Morning Out program run by the same Methodist church where Ryan went to Pre School.

Meet Virginia

2008-09-07T13:50:00.000-07:00

Or, perhaps a better title for this post would be "What in the World Were We Thinking??!!"To be honest I'm not sure if we were thinking at all. We certainly didn't plan this addition to our family she just sorta fell into our laps. Here's how it went down. Thursday a sales rep at Ryan's office (who rescues dogs on the side) somehow convinced him that this little beagle puppy (who was going to be put to sleep) should come home with him. So Friday, she did! I guess this sales rep is really good at his job... Here's a new toothpaste sample oh and how bout a beagle to go with it... So now instead of potty training my 21/2 yr old (when is that girl ever going to get out of diapers??!!) I am now concentrating on house breaking a new puppy! Ahhhhh!! I already felt as though I didn't have the best grasp on my relatively simple life before the dog. But hey the kids adore her. And as my first love Luke Skywalker always says "If we're going in, we're going in full throttle!"

We named her Virginia after the Carolina Wren who nested in our laundry room a few months back. I've been trying unsuccefully to get everyone to call her Ginny for short. It is just not happening. So Virginia it is.

CONTASTIC!

2008-09-03T17:23:00.000-07:00

I will say that Ryan and I have done our best to experience the Southeast for all its wonder and beauty. We've been to Savannah, Chattanooga even honeymooned in New Orleans (we new that place was cool long before Brangelina hopped on the hurricane train thank you very much) And we've enjoyed our fair share of experiences in this regions most famous capital. From going to the zoo to see the baby panda, or splashing around the fountain at Centennial Olympic Park to riding the sky train at Stone Mountain. But after 8 years of living in Atlanta, it is always exciting to discover something new and fun for our family to do together. This past weekend we encountered the wondrous world of DRAGON CON!!! Yes that's right- Dragon Con- a 3 day weekend dedicated entirely to grown ups who still like to dress up like Spiderman! Our friends the Croxalls told us about the big parade they've taken their 5 year old to every year where the characters from your classic favorites (and new ones too) march down Peachtree Street in all their glory! We had such a fun time. Thousands of people came out to see this and it did not disappoint. Ryan H was crazy over Darth Vader and the Storm Troopers! It was like Christmas morning for him watching hundreds of them coming down the street in unison guns at the ready. I'll admit I gotta little jazzed myself. Adelaide was all about the fairies and the random lady in a wedding dress. There were costumes beyond costumes (dad even the Ghost Busters made an appearance) including a bearded man in a glittering, gold floor length dress(the drags be representn' at dragon con) whom Ryan excitedly pointed out for me. "Look mom there's a man princess! Mom did you see that?! A man princess!" The whole event was out of this world. I'll admit a little bit of the aura was lost for me when as we were leaving and I saw 3 Storm Troopers, helmets off, having a smoke break behind one of the hotels, but not enough to keep us from going back next year. Hooray for Dragon Con!! "Live Long and Prosper"

First Hair Cut

2008-08-25T08:55:00.000-07:00

Yes, I really did take my 2 year old to a salon. But in my defense, in years past when I have let family and friends cut Ryan's hair it has almost always turned out disastrously. I think my favorite was the faux hawk my husband gave him just 2 days before school pictures. Although the NeoNazi Buzz Cut is a close second. That's when I put my foot down and said "NO MORE HOME JOBS!! I'm taking him to a barber!" And we've been delighted with Miss Angie from Charles Barber in Tucker ever since. So when it came time for Adelaide's turn, especially with those delicious blond curls of hers , I went straight to Salon Red Kids in downtown Decatur. Miss Shanta did a fabulous job turning Adelaide's stringy mullet into a darling curly blond bob. I shudder to think what could've been...

Ever Play Chicken with A Goose??!!

2008-08-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

Unexpected things really do happen all the time don't they. I mean, who would've thought you'd heading out to do some simple errands and the next thing you know you're about one100th of a second (my Olympic nod) from being in a head on collision with a Canadian Goose!!
Yes, allow me to enlighten you... I was driving on the interstate the other day singing along to whatever top 40 hit of the hour was playing when something strange appears up ahead... I naturally start to slow down and wonder "what in the world..." ,I keep slowing down, b/c whatever it is appears to have no plans to leave. I can see now that it is some kind of big, oddly shaped bird? I continue slowing down and realize it is actually 2 geese! And the geese are not moving, hummm, so I of course try to get over a lane, but I can't b/c another car is there, I look ahead again and the geese are standing there ground, I slooooooooooooow, ohmygosh!!! STOP!! I take a deep breath and do inventory, I am still alive, the birds are still alive, no one is behind me, nothing is bumped or broken, okay, I'm okay, the car is okay, everyone and everything is okay, whew! But now the geese are still not moving and traffic is headed my way! I begin to inch ahead and the geese finally start to move but in a forward directions. "Argh!! This doesn't help my little feathered friends" I say to them. After a minute the geese finally agree to liesurly waddle to the side. But just to show me whose really in charge I assume, they remain firmly and most decidedly in the road. I gradually make my way around them and wonder how long those birds really do have to left live??!!

This Made Me Laugh So Hard!!!!

2008-08-12T12:09:00.000-07:00

First Day Of School

2008-08-12T09:59:00.000-07:00

So, as if it wasn't hard enough finishing off the Twilight Saga with Breaking Dawn last week. Then came the season finale of So You Think You Can Dance(what am I going to do on Wednesday nights now??!! Seriously What??!!) As if those two things weren't hard enough... Yesterday Ryan H started school!! Who can believe this??!! He is in Kindergarten, yes full on public school Kindergarten!! It's like I blinked and he was big. Wait, wait, wait I say to myself, when did he get big enough to go to Kindergarten?? Well, he made it home safely and he's back there for day 2. Hopefully I'll get more out of him today on how things are going. But you know how it is trying to get any kind of tidbit of info from a five year old.
Here is a fairly good recap of our after school chat.
Me: Hey!! How was your day??!!
RH: Good.
Me: What did you do??!!
RH: Stuff.
Me: Like what kind of stuff? Did you have fun??!!
RH: I'm tired. Can I watch a movie?
Me: sigh...sure...

Breaking Dawn Party!!

2008-08-05T08:59:00.000-07:00

Friday night several of us girls went to Barnes & Nobel for the midnight release party of Breaking Dawn . I have been anxiously awaiting the fourth and final installment of The Saga that is Twilight. I had such a fun time. And how awesome is it to have a group of friends who are just as crazy about these books as me including both of my visiting teachers . We participated in the trivia game, took pictures and yucked it up with other enthusiasts about how the story would unfold. I just finished it last night. So I'm feeling all sentimental. Will that side of me ever subside?? Just when I think I've got myself under control another book comes out or a friend moves or a really sweet commercial comes on TV... Ah well...

Gramaw Camp 2008!!

2008-07-30T12:47:00.000-07:00

Well if there is one thing I can say about my mother-in-law Beverly, it's that she loves her grand kids!! Every year for several years now she has invited all of her grand kids (and the moms )to Huntington WV to enjoy the thrills and spills of Gramaw Camp!! This is my 3rd year as a "Camp Counselor" assigned to the ages 2 & 5 division of the group. My duties consisted mostly of chasing, scolding, laughing and keeping them alive while inside a large cave. And I couldn't have had more fun. Ryan and Adelaide love their cousins and spending a week with them at Gramaw and PaPaws house is even better. We did a lot of stuff, activities everyday, but we also enjoyed the little things like watering flowers with Gramaw or sitting on PaPaws lap. Thanks Pete and Beverly aka Gramaw and PaPaw! We had a wonderful time!

things we did:
-YMCA pool complete with water slides and a diving board
-Carter Caves in Kentucky (the gift shop staff was sure happy for us to leave)
-The Putnam County Fair "A Great Place to Go for Your Next Nicotine Fix"

Ryan loved the dirt track races and the spinning ride, Adelaide loved the 4h animals (we even got an up close encounter with the supreme grand champion goat) and the boat ride
-The Discovery Museum
-Shopped for school clothes from Gramaw
-Saw Space Chimps
-Had a Birthday party

-Went for a ride in PaPaws canoe

-chased a beaver down a small fresh water creek

-ate a ton of treats (direct orders from the Camp Director herself) this was mostly for the kids but we grown ups got in on the treat eating action

Morgantown-My First Home!!

2008-07-21T10:18:00.000-07:00

After 18 days of being away I'm back on the blog scene. We've had a wonderful 21/2 weeks away playing with cousins, eating sugar for dinner and staying up way tooo late!!! We visited both sets of families and the only way to do them justice is simply to do two separate posts.
This one is dedicated to my beautiful hometown of Morgantown West Virginia- Voted by several sources as one of Americas top 5 small towns to live in. And hey who can argue with that!!! No one reading this should even try!!! I mean we're talking several sources here... This was a great week at my dads. We're started our 10 hour drive off a little later than planned but that's the way things go down when you've got kids. One of our favorite things to do is stop at the New River Gorge Bridge. This is one of the tallest bridges in the US and one of WV ever impressive tourists sites. Every year they stop traffic on the bridge so people can base jump from it. It's a pretty big deal. MTV even went there once for a show on extreme sports-top that!

It is also somewhere along this 10 hr drive that I lost my cell phone. How someone manages to lose their cell phone while sitting down in the passenger seat of a car with the doors closed and windows rolled up is beyond me. But Ryan and I searched hi and low for it and it simply was not in the car when we arrived in Morgantown. Had it when I left Atlanta-did not have when I got to Morgantown??? So I had to get a new one and start building my phonebook again. I really just need to start memorizing peoples phone #s. I felt so out of touch without it.

It was great to be in Morgantown with the Campbells. This was the first time in several years that me, Molly(big sis) and Michael(little bro who lives in Morgantown) have all been in Morgantown together. Michael's wife Priscilla is due in October with baby #2. Her little belly is pretty cute. And yes Michael, Molly is right, we can't really say that about yours....

One of the best things about this week was how well all of the kids played together. Caleb and Ryan had a blast! Imagine Spider Man and the Incredible Hulk stuck together in one big room battling it out to see who could be the loudest and strongest. All in good fun of course-and thankfully Gramps who got the brunt of all these super hero games took it in pretty good stride.

One night we drove around my old neighborhood. Ahh Dogwood Ave so many happy memories... One thing I was sad to see though wast that our favorite tree Jackie (named after the neighbors dog) had been torn down due to some construction work. The hours we logged in that tree as kids... She had some great branches-perfect for spitting the grape skins that we'd collected from our vine onto the unsuspecting heads of the boys who would pass by. Of course Molly and her best friend Melissa were president and co president of the "club" we had there and always got first dibs on the prime branches for sitting and spitting....

In a nutshell (mostly for me so I don't forget) these are the things we did

Swim at the Rec Center

Joyride on the Personal Rapid Transit (or as we townies call it The PRT)

Bowling at the Mountainlair

Salamandering at the University Forest(found 2 Redbacks)

Went to see Blackie the live Black Rat Snake at Gramps' office

Visited the Dream Trailer (if you read Melissa's Blog you know what this is)Got Milkshakes, Smiley Face Cookies and Grilled Stickies

from Eatn' Park
Saw Kung Fu Panda

Bonded with Siblings over White Chocolate Mousse

Went to the park

Enjoyed authentic pepperoni rolls

Had Fun!!!

Thanks Dad and Dara for your generosity and your hospitality!!!

In closing I would like to share the words of our precious State Song

I wish I could say this was my idea, but I found it so fitting that I had to copy from my sister's blog and put this in...

"Oh the West Virginia Hills how majestic and how grand

With their summits raised in glory like our Prince Immanuel's land

Is it any wonder than that my heart with rapture fills

As I stand once more with loved ones on these West Virginia Hills..."

We Didn't Die and Go to Heaven...

2008-07-11T06:56:00.000-07:00

Just the Next Best Place-West Virginia!!!
We've been out of town for the last week and have one more to go. I'm sure you all are anxiously awaiting my vacation posts to come, including one dedicated entirely to a unique form of public transportation in Morgantown!!

My Newest Addiction!

2008-06-26T17:12:00.000-07:00

I watch and VOTE every week! I am not ashamed!

The Great Eight!!

2008-06-22T18:19:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary Ryan!!

Love ya!!!

June 23, 2000

(Look at how much hair he has!)

Rising Entomologist?

2008-06-17T17:04:00.000-07:00

For whatever reason (and it's certainly not genetic) my son LOVES bugs! This evening he saw me giving a particularly nasty look to a disgusting earwig that was making itself at home on my wall. He calmly said "Mom, ya just gotta stop killing bugs. Let me take care of it. If you see a spider or an earwig, just call me." I laughed a little in spite of the fact that he was completely serious and said "Well, okay, you can start with this one." And with that, he climbed up on the step stool, gently knocked it to the ground, picked it up and took it outside. He later informed that when we are nice to bugs, they will be nice to us and when we try to hurt bugs, they will hurt us. I wasn't sure how to argue with that logic so I just nodded my head and thanked him for "taking care" of the offending earwig situation.

Fare Thee Well...

2008-06-15T11:27:00.000-07:00

Friday we said goodbye to the Palmers. They have been great friends to our entire family. I've known Clairon for almost eight years. She is one of the first people I met when I came to Georgia and through the years of pregnancies, new babies, play dates, hours logged at the pool, bike rides(We owe Abel for showing Ryan how to ride in 10 mins) and 6 years of Book Clubbing it, we just became great friends. And as much as I begged and pleaded for her to stay, I can't really be upset that she decided to go ahead and move with her family to Connecticut so her husband can do his residency. In fact I couldn't be happier for them. They've worked hard to earn this next exciting new phase of life. We went and said a final goodbye this past Friday morning before they drove away. It was brief. It was sad. Thank goodness I was wearing sunglasses!! Afterward I went to the grocery store and did two things I'm not proud of- I bought myself Swiss Cake Rolls and a trashy magazine with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie on the cover (I know, I know, but I just had to read about her latest collapse and I was already in a weakened state...) And then I got just a little choked up while talking to the check out lady about how my good friend just moved away five minutes ago and this was her grocery store too and we used to run into each other here all the time(the sentimental sap strikes again)... So my recommendations to you all and myself for future reference: Do NOT go to the same grocery store where you and your good friend used to shop because you will buy something you regret and you will embarrass yourself in front of the the check out lady. Palmers Take Care! We will miss you:)

Beach Party-Surfin the Word...

2008-06-12T11:55:00.000-07:00

AT VBS JUNE 2008!!

Every summer the Methodist Church where Ryan attended(sigh) Preschool sponsors a fabulous week long Vacation Bible School. This was our first time and we LOVED it! Ryan went with his buddy Abel and there were a bunch of other kids he knew from school and church. This years theme was Surfin through the Scriptures a Bible School Beach Party! The kids rocked out every day to "JC and The Son Shine Band"(they couldn't get enough of the drummer JC himself), watched puppet shows and Bible story reenactments, did crafts played games and had a blast! I volunteered for 2 days and was lucky enough to see just how cute this program is. We can't wait til next year! Here are some pictures on Wear Red Day

#1 crafts

#2 with church friends Emry, Kate, Jackson, Caleb, Ryan, Abel

#3 Ryan rocken out with the band (right next to the cute teen inthe short shorts, I didn't plan that for the pic but maybe he did)

#4Ryan with friends watching the puppet show

World's Greatest Book Club? I Think So!

2008-06-09T11:28:00.000-07:00

What can I say about my wonderful Book Club??! Its hard to put it into words what a key part of my life it has been for me over the past 6 years. I am proud to say I am one of the few remaining original members. Through the years we've had ladies come and go. But there have been 4 of us who have been there from the start(The Founding 4 picture right: Me, Clairon, Amber, Kelly). Our first meeting was at my good friend Clairons house in September of 2002. Now it is Clairons turn to move. The Book Club will go on but we will really miss her. I'm also sad to say goodbye to Shannon and Sheri. May was their last one too. Because of this group I've read some really good books and made some really great friends. Honestly I don't think you could find a more talented group of women anywhere else. On any given 4th Tuesday of the month I am surrounded by PhDs, lawyers, musicians, PAs, teachers, athletes etc.. Not to mention they can all cook! I mean really, we're talkin good eats!! I could keep going but I think you get the idea. I lucked out in the Book Club department!

Grammy's Visit

2008-06-05T10:11:00.000-07:00

Three things Adelaide loves: sucking her finger, her Blankie and GRAMMY!

We had a wonderful time with Grammy!! Thanks to my mom Ryan and I got to go on our fun weekend and the kids were safe and got new toys. We also went to the Campbell's with Grammy for 4 days. Such fun and merriment with cousins. Notice the 2 mess makers caught in the act??!! This time it was sprinkles which made for a much easier clean up than peanut butter or boysenberry jam.

Last Year We Went to Prison

2008-06-01T16:51:00.000-07:00

This year we went to Alabama!

For the past 2 Memorial Day Weekends, my mom has come to watch the kids for 2 nights while Ryan and I go off on a romantic getaway... Don't ask me why but last year we went to Andersonville Prison, the largest POW Camp during the Civil War. It was designed to hold around 3000 Yankee soldiers. It wound up holding 10,000. Needless to say, many men died there. Including Ryan's great-great-great grandfather. We even found his grave. It was a memorable experience. But this year as we planned our trip, we thought hmmm-let's not got to a prison- let's go somewhere a little more upbeat. We chose Huntsville Alabama and we had a blast. We visited the US Space and Rocket Center. This place is actually very cool. And on Memorial Day... drum roll... I ran in my first race!!! Yes, that's right, I ran a race! The Cotton Row Run. It's an event the people of Huntsville have been doing since 1980. I saw something about it online when we were planning our trip. I had originally intended to do the 1 mile fun run. But when we got to our hotel on Saturday I found out it was just for kids. So, that left me with the 5k or 10k option. Since I'm only about 2 months into the jogging world I decided on the 5k. Ryan ran with me and we really had a great time. The last mile I told him just to go ahead. I didn't want to cramp his style anymore. Although I am proud to say I only finished 4 mins after him. I was surprised at how much fun it was to be a part of something like this. And I will definitely do one again. Some of my favorite parts about it were- The race watchers cheering for you as you run by, the Boy Scouts handing you water along the way (I took some, dumped it over my head, tossed the cup for dramatic affect and kept right on going , I've always wanted to do that) the energizing music towards the finish line and the police cadets running in time while doing cadence.

In closing I would like to share 5 things I learned while in Alabama. And as an 8 year resident of the fine state of Georgia and a girl raised in Wild and Wonderful West Virginia, I think I can get away with it...

1. The floor of an elevator is an acceptable chewing tobacco spit receptacle

2. The local Shop Rite grocer does not have a spreadable gourmet cheese section-unless you count Velveeta

3. Do not ask where the gourmet cheeses are unless you want to be laughed at as you walk away

4. Shirts in hotel lobbies are optional...
5. Beer apparently tastes better without a shirt while sitting in a hotel lobby

All Good Things Must Come to an End

2008-05-23T10:00:00.000-07:00

as you can see, Ryan was very enthusiastic about posing for these pictures

The day I have been dreading since the fall of 2005 has come and gone. I knew I couldn't write about right away because it was just too close to the surface. Am I over the top dramatic-yes! Am I way too sentimental for my own good-yes! But I just can't help it. For the past 3 years Ryan Hinckley has been attending this wonderful, perfect little preschool, Decatur First United Methodist Weekday Children's Ministry, and Wednesday was his last day,FOREVER!! He has graduated to the next phase of his life, Kindergarten. I wish I could express what a truly wonderful experience we've had at this little school. It is just a happy place. And the joy that spills out from that building cannot be faked. I remember before I was even pregnant with Ryan driving by it one day when the kids were being dismissed and thinking "Well there's a happy little school, with happy little children." So years later when I was in the market for a preschool I looked them up, took a tour and fell in love . The playground is top notch and the rainy day room really won me over. Don't we all need a "rainy day room" to cheer us up! And of course the teachers and staff were great. Ryan knew he safe there and he knew he was loved. What parent could ask for more? One day last week when I was picking him up after school in the car pool line Green Day came on the radio singing "I hope you had the time of your life..." I watched him walk down the front steps and it was as if a slide show of all the past years of watching him walk down those steps flashed before me. I lost it!! And it was so embarrassing earlier this week when I took banana bread to some of his favorite teachers. I would hand them the bread, start to say thank you , start crying instead, then the teacher would give me a hug and reassure me of the year to come. This happened 4 separate times! I kid you not! Ryan however seems completely unphased by all of this . I asked him if was sad to leave his school and he said "No I just want to watch Curious George." Okay, I get it, change is harder on the parents. Especially sentimental saps like me.

Let There Be Light

2008-05-22T19:14:00.000-07:00

The first lightning bug of the season has arrived!!(whoever calls them fireflies out there no longer has permission to read my blog) I spotted him not but 2hrs ago on evening stroll with my mom. We stopped immediately and paid homage to the tiny, radiant creature of the night... May your beautiful green glow give forth joy to all who walk amongst you...

Seriously, this is how I know I am meant to live east of the Mississippi-because life w/out lightning bugs is well, beyond words. I've done my time out west. And I do LOVE California. But a front yard empty of the luminous glow of a lightning bug on a dark summer night... it is unthinkable!

on a side note-I do NOT believe in putting lightning bugs in jar. They should be free to fly and fill the night sky for all to admire. But this was the best picture I could find online.

Tiny Dancer (Redux)

2008-05-20T16:58:00.001-07:00

Big Girls Don't Cry

2008-05-19T18:47:00.000-07:00

Well, a few weeks ago Adelaide, our baby, took her next step to full fledged "toddlerhood" and learned how to climb out of her crib. So a few days ago we, her parents, took the next step that must inevitably follow and put her in a bed! Who can believe this?? My baby is old enough, big enough, grown enough to be in a bed??She likes to stand by it with a big smile and say "my bed". She LOVES it!! I on the other hand am still a little teary eyed over it. Our friends the Croxalls kindly loaned us their toddler bed for this momentous step. They have two boys so the fact that it is blue works great for them. Doesn't really go with the lavender walls in A's room. And until we get her an official twin this summer we're not going to get her a new bedspread. So she is stuck with Ryan's old dinosaur quilt and pillow. Although her sheet is pink...

Oh, they grow up so fast...

My Son Has Gourmet Taste...

2008-05-14T10:46:00.000-07:00

I've been suspecting my sons love affair with cheese for quite some time now. Since he was a wee boy he has loved all things dairy and cheese has always been at the top of the list. Now I didn't mind it so much when I could get away with the publix brand block of cheddar, but he has moved on to the finer things in life... I thought it was just a fluke when the two of us went to Mother's Night at his school and he had eyes only for the fancy, spreadable garlic and herb on miniature slices of Italian bread. The goldfish I'd piled on our plate of shared food didn't even get a first glance. And then yesterday I splurged and bought some for myself for lunch. Sharing was not on my lunch agenda. But when he saw what I was eating, there was no stopping him. I am not proud, but we finished the entire container and 1/2 a loaf of yummy bread in 2 sittings. We even went as far as scraping off the remaining cheese with our fingers. Oh and we licked the knives clean too.

Tiny Dancer

2008-05-05T11:35:00.000-07:00

back stage jitters

warm ups

show time

Big Finish

The End....

Happy Birthday Boys!!!

2008-05-05T10:51:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to give a Birthday Shout Out to my sweet husband Ryan and our brother-in-law Jason. Yes, Molly and I married great friends who just happend to have the exact same birthday. May 5 1973 was a significant day for both of us gals. We just didn't know it yet since neither of us were born till much, much, much, much later:)

Ice Cream Summer

2008-05-02T11:41:00.001-07:00

Really, as Mother's, this is what we should all be doing... Encouraging our children to take treats from a strange man in a big white van with a clown on the front...

The whole thing really does play out just like a horror movie: You hear the melodies music, the intermittent, hypnotic "hellos" shout at you from the loud speaker, you turn your head, your eyes glaze over, your hands extend outward, you walk forward... It is "The Ice Cream Man" and he has come to make all your dreams come true, you just need to get a little bit closer...

So yes, we had a new neighborhood visitor come acallin this week. And Ryan, who has never seen an ice cream truck before in his life, knew what it was and he wanted it bad! How is it that every child in the world can hear and know the ice cream truck?! I don't care if you're in the back bedroom, back yard or 6 feet deep under water (I speak from personal experience on that one) you hear the song and you go running- barefoot in a bathing suit, head full of shampoo, favorite show still going strong-it doesn't matter- the ICE CREAM MAN is here! And he is here just for you and he will give you that ice cream taco you didn't know you needed and all will be right with world!!! Summer is fast upon us, this is only the beginning...

Do Not Let Me Anywhere Near Your Computer

2008-04-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

So, last week I decided to take on the challenge of becoming a little more computer savvy, and lost-Big Time! My sister graciously gave me her Ipod with oh Idunno about 200 songs on it. Instead of transferring them to my Itunes account, I somehow managed to erase ALL of them instead. A few days after that I decided to tackle a potential computer virus threat and wound up downloading a viscous Trojan Virus and some Spy Wear. Yeah, we had to take it in and pay some serious money to get it fixed. So right now I have only enough confidence to check my email, make a new post and read the latest updates on Stephenine Meyer's Website. That's what I get for thinking I was smarter than a computer...

Ryan D Makes His Blog Debut

2008-04-20T16:40:00.000-07:00

At Cagle's Dairy Farm...

Let me first say that although we had a lovely family outing on Ryan Hinckley's school field trip, what I'm taking most from this day is the knowledge that farms and sandals are perhaps not the best combination...

But the Boarder Collie demonstration and feeding the baby cows made up for all the hay (and who knows what else) in my shoes. Yes, the dog actually herded cows for us. It was the coolest thing I've ever seen. I could have watched it herd all day. I even got a little choked up watching him circle far left just to get the cows that had gone astray. I always thought I wanted a Beagle. I still do, I guess I'm just going to have to get a Boarder Collie as well-I mean someone is going to have to keep my two Holsteins safely by the house. My backyard is only partially fenced in...

So, here are few pics from our Friday outing. And who can believe this, my husband is actually in a few of them:)

Good Sport!

2008-04-19T11:47:00.000-07:00

Ryan had a soccer game today. He did very well, scored some goals and blocked a few. But the other team won. I'll just say it-they were better. The kids on the opposing team had all been playing together for 2 years. So they had the advantages age and skill wise. At one point during the game another kid scored a fantastic goal. One in which Ryan unsuccessfully tried to block. It zoomed right passed him into the net. And even though his team was down, Ryan, without prompting, ran up to the kid who scored the goal and gave him a high five! We may have lost the game but Ryan sure won the good sportsmen ship award.

Close Encounters of the Bird Kind

2008-04-14T17:57:00.000-07:00

Ryan gets a "Birds Eye View" of the eggs a few days before hatching

Let me first say that Ryan (the elder) and I are perfectly aware of the fact that the big, gaping hole in the door to the laundry room outside off of the carport should've been fixed months, upon months ago. We know this. We just never got around to it. And if we had, we would've never had this great nature encounter. Better than last years anyway when Ryan (the younger) and his friend Chaz found a Copper Head in the front yard and were poking it with sticks... Anyway, for the past few weeks I've noticed a Carolina Wren or 2 hanging around my carport. I'd even seen them fly in and out of the hole. I just never thought much about. But the bird lover in me (thanks Dad) got the better of me and on Friday I decided to investigate. And discovered that a Carolina Wren family had indeed set up camp in one of Ryan's old book bags. I looked inside the nest, being careful not to touch or disturb anything and found myself face to face with this adorable little brown bird now affectionately known as Virginia. In spite of efforts to be still, she got spooked and flew to safety behind the water heater. After she left, I called Ryan Hinckley over to get a good look at the four lovely speckled eggs laying in the nest. On Sunday after church we decided to check in on Virginia and her soon to be chicks and discovered that they had hatched! Not the most attractive little things I've ever seen-they look a bit like raw pieces of meat actually. But despite their current "X-fileish" appearance they have won us over! And in week or so when they start to get feathers, I'm sure they will look much cuter. Now I have tried to document this as much as possible but it is surprisingly difficult to take a good picture of a brown bird in a brown nest while precariously balancing on the front end of your washing machine... National Geographic won't be calling anytime soon... So while Virginia and her big, brown eyes may never find her place in The Niceler Family Blog, she will always have a place in the blog in our hearts.

Day Trippers!

2008-04-10T16:48:00.000-07:00

After nearly 8 years of living in Georgia, I finally decided to "go the distance" and cross the state line to Alabama. For Spring Break me and my good friends Clairon Palmer and Amber Croxall decided to take our kids on a field trip to the Anniston Museum of Natural History in Anniston Alabama. It's an hour and half drive from Atlanta and a delightful place to take your family. Ryan loved it. Adelaide was terrified. You have to walk through a cave, there are giant taxidermy animals, growling bears etc. Perfect for a 5 year old boy, a little scary for a 2 year old. There is also a live outdoor Birds of Prey exhibit with owls and hawks. Both Ryan and Adelaide enjoyed that part. Perhaps the Ornithology gene has been passed on to the next generation. The best part is that hardly anyone was there. We pretty much had the museum to ourselves.

Front Row: Chaz, Ryan, Abel, Jesse, Finn, Gabriel

Back Row: Wendy, Adelaide, Amber, Clairon

Having a Rachel Moment

2008-04-08T18:21:00.000-07:00

Those of you who read Molly's blog know all about my little niece Rachel (just 2 wks older than A) and her exploits with food. Well, today my little Adelaide decided to have a go of it. Nothing will ever outdo the boysenberry jam episode but this afternoon snack with peanut butter sure comes close.

Here she enjoys some light refreshment while fully engrossed in an episode of Curious George. Maybe they had it right during the dark ages-who needs a spoon when your hands work just fine? I do think she cleans up rather nicely though.

Missed Out (oh, and I am not a stalker)

2008-04-06T16:15:00.001-07:00

I started BYU as a freshmen the summer of 95(good times). That summer I found out that Nancy Griffith, one of my favorite folk singers, was playing at a cafe type venue just down the street from where I lived at Heritage Halls. Awesome right? WRONG!! Because I found out about it 2 days AFTER the fact. And I have regretted not hearing her sing "Love at the Five and Dime" in a close personal setting ever since. Now, to be honest, I don't really think much about that except every now and again I am painfully reminded of it. Like yesterday for example, when I found out that Mo Willems, one of my favorite childrens book authors, was at a local book store in Downtown Decatur, just a stones throw from my son's school. He was here Thursday. I found out about it Saturday- 2 days AFTER the fact! What??!! I missed Nancy Griffith and now Mo Willems??!! How is this to be born??!! Ryan Hinckley and I would have loved the chance to meet and him and scare the tuna salad out of him. And he would have been scared, oh yes he would have been scared!! I guess some people have all the luck of getting to meet and hang with celebrities and some of us don't. Like my gal Mandy, who actually got to sit next to Christian Bale, yes Christian Bale on a ride at Disney World. She also got to meet Tom Cruise at an Ellen Show taping. Although, now that I think about it, I did get to meet that Soap actress from Days of Our Lives at Medieval times in California. I was 10. She signed my drink napkin. I had it for years...

Mo Willems please come back to Georgia! Nancy this invitations includes you too. Come sing to me, come scare the tuna salad out of me, come ease my pain, come be my friend... Please!!!!

Since They Got To Go Boar Hunting....

2008-03-31T12:27:00.000-07:00

We got to go to the Mall. And I do think we got the better end of the bargain. On a quick side note-For my animal rights activist friends out there-No boar, or any other wild life for that matter were harmed during my husbands weekend adventure. In fact he spent most of the time sitting in the woods as still as possible while snow litterally accumulated on his head. He didn't want to scare away any potential game...

Now the important part of the Blog. Yes Ryan and our brother in law Jason did go "Hunting" together one weekend. So Molly and I had our weekend turn at the Mall of Georgia. We stayed at a hotel, we slept in and we didn't have to share our food with anyone!! The stuff dreams are made of... all in one glorious kid free weekend!

The Dream is Over...

2008-03-28T11:16:00.000-07:00

For this season anyway. So,Mountaineers lost last night-in Over Time! Ah, it was painful and exciting all at the same time. I couldn't watch the last 5 mins of regulation and pretty much had to shut my door during OT just so I couldn't hear my husbands shouts of joy followed by shouts of frustration - all while I paced back and forth or pretened to be interested in Good Reads. As I said to a friend though, We beat Duke and I am hanging on to that one for a long time!!
Mountaineers Are Always Free-Go 'EERS!

Easter Bunny Fun

2008-03-24T17:37:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up, the Easter Bunny always hid our Eater Baskets somewhere in the house for us to find Easter morning before church. This year Ryan and Adelaide enjoyed searching around the living room to find what the Easter Bunny had left for them behind the curtains. After Church we went to my sisters house to have a nice ham dinner(Thanks Campbells for feeding us!) and a big Easter Egg Hunt. We had such a good time. It is always sad when the day ends and we have to go home. Ryan and Adelaide just love their cousins. It is wonderful to have so much family close by. Adelaide ate WAY to much candy. And she and her little cousin Rachel seemed to find it EVERYWHERE. Just when we thought we'd gotten it all picked up and out of 2 year old reach, in one of them would walk with a mouth full of chocolate. We are going to have to keep an eye on our little Sweet Tooth.

First Soccer Game

2008-03-24T16:58:00.000-07:00

After 2 rain cancelations (in the middle of a drought) Ryan Hinckley finally had his first soccer game Saturday. And do we dare say-He was awesome. He scored 3 goals and according to my husband, did very well defensively. Whatever that means... This is 5 and 6 yr olds were talking about. He's no Pele (yet) But he was genuninely having a good time out there. And right now that's good enough for me. It is also fun b/c his good friend, Abel Palmer, is on the team. Both families enjoyed cheering our boys on together. Adelaide was the perfect cheerleader, looking cute in the stands and calling "Hi Ryan". A fun day.

How Good It Feels To Be Right!!!

2008-03-23T16:52:00.001-07:00

I know I am not the only person who picked WVU to beat Duke!!! Victory sure is sweet-Sweet 16 that is. Sorry Coach K and all the rest of you Blue Devils!! The Mountaineers are on their way!!!

Zoo Atlanta- A Tribute in 4 Lines

2008-03-21T12:13:00.000-07:00

Zoo Atlanta, it is really our favorite spot...

We go there when it's cold, we go there when it's hot.

Zoo Atlanta, it has the little baby panda...

We owe all of our Zoo fun, to our best friend Amanda!!

Thanks Mandy! Another fun day at the zoo with friends and wildlife!!

Girl Scout Cookies

2008-03-18T17:59:00.000-07:00

This must really say something about me since my very next post is an entry dedicated to girl scout cookies. I do love them, to a shameful degree...
The other day I noticed that a sleeve of Thin Mints had been left in my car to melt. I retrieved the precious cookies before it was too late and left them on the counter as an "after school snack" for myself, not to be shared with either child. Later when I went to grab a few, I discovered that the cookies had been fused together to form one giant Thin Mint stick. This of course in my mind did not prevent them from being edible. As I leaned on my kitchen counter and watched my kids play in the sandbox from the window, I looked down and realized that I was in fact gnawing on a stiff, somewhat stale, chocolate blob-And I thought this was OK??? I went on a long walk later that evening to make myself feel a little better about stooping to such measures just to get a chocolate fix.

The Nicelers Get a Computer!

2008-03-17T15:06:00.000-07:00

We just got the internet less than a week ago after 4 years sans computer. And what better way to celebrate joining the 21st century than by starting a blog!! Of course we still havn't gotten a desk yet so I've been typing on the floor for 5 days sitting criss cross applesauce and working up to a very stiff neck and permanent loss of feeling in both my legs. Baby steps, we'll get that computer desk eventually-we just have to take it slow. Getting up to speed on modern day living can be quite exhausting!