tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59725072607205024612024-03-14T11:49:20.066-07:00Sloneker StoriesThe Slonekershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06880714595178450723noreply@blogger.comBlogger381125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972507260720502461.post-79755780625461842552013-03-27T23:54:00.002-07:002013-03-27T23:54:35.868-07:0014 Months and Climbing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
As I walked by our office/playroom the other day I saw this site that made me run and grab my camera..tip-toe around...stalk my child for a few minutes while taking pictures of him....all while I watched, smiled, and felt my heart melting because once again...we are moving into a new phase. Climbing.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8IK9MkZ9llY/UVPfZrTqynI/AAAAAAAACn4/agUpqjBPNpI/s1600/DSC_9752w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8IK9MkZ9llY/UVPfZrTqynI/AAAAAAAACn4/agUpqjBPNpI/s1600/DSC_9752w.jpg" /></a></div>
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Sweet Boy had climbed up in the chair all by himself as I was cleaning up after breakfast, and was playing with his toys as if no one else was around. Melt.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O2L9PDmVllw/UVPfZaVYWGI/AAAAAAAACn0/telrcUhe8fk/s1600/DSC_9755w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O2L9PDmVllw/UVPfZaVYWGI/AAAAAAAACn0/telrcUhe8fk/s1600/DSC_9755w.jpg" /></a></div>
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...which of course was followed by him pushing all the toys off the chair....</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nVKD6CytJdU/UVPfZ5xMtTI/AAAAAAAACoA/9O5EcMf4hN4/s1600/DSC_9764w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nVKD6CytJdU/UVPfZ5xMtTI/AAAAAAAACoA/9O5EcMf4hN4/s1600/DSC_9764w.jpg" /></a></div>
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....and then climbing down all by himself too!! Ahh....who taught him this? He's getting so big!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0VUWZKRjWMw/UVPfZYXfx_I/AAAAAAAACnw/YDkAzY4mQQk/s1600/Climber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0VUWZKRjWMw/UVPfZYXfx_I/AAAAAAAACnw/YDkAzY4mQQk/s1600/Climber.jpg" /></a></div>
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Busted. He spotted me! ha.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kHFulJLa1qw/UVPfaOZJ9JI/AAAAAAAACn8/7mEy9TZUrjg/s1600/DSC_9769w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kHFulJLa1qw/UVPfaOZJ9JI/AAAAAAAACn8/7mEy9TZUrjg/s1600/DSC_9769w.jpg" /></a></div>
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Hey mom! Watch me climb!!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6VRHu-0KCI/UVPfah2O3MI/AAAAAAAACoI/_N5NqVRb2Mo/s1600/DSC_9783w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6VRHu-0KCI/UVPfah2O3MI/AAAAAAAACoI/_N5NqVRb2Mo/s1600/DSC_9783w.jpg" /></a></div>
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And yes, I know our windows are covered in little fingerprints....but I can't bring myself to clean them! I kind of love it.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vuwT3LsV4lA/UVPfasFHnUI/AAAAAAAACoM/xCCaKrvMC8E/s1600/DSC_9779w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vuwT3LsV4lA/UVPfasFHnUI/AAAAAAAACoM/xCCaKrvMC8E/s1600/DSC_9779w.jpg" /></a></div>
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Great Job, Sweet Davis. You are picking up new things every single day and we are so proud of you!</div>
The Slonekershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06880714595178450723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972507260720502461.post-35534673647011713192013-03-25T21:26:00.001-07:002013-03-25T21:26:31.232-07:00Meet Me Here Monday: My "New" Blogging Goal<br />
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I don't know about you, but I LOVE starting things on Mondays. And if it doesn't happen on Monday, then it probably won't happen the rest of the week. {For example, I love to make workout goals for the next week which always "start on Monday"...but when Monday rolls around and that "goal" doesn't get met...forget starting it on Tuesday or Wednesday...I'll just wait for <i>Next</i> Monday!} And don't even get me started on when the first of the month begins on a Monday...it's almost too much for me to handle. haha.</div>
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But thankfully "God's mercies are new every <b>morning</b>"...not just every Monday, right?! {If only I could remember that! ha. ;)}</div>
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Well, I've decided that this is a character trait/habit/flaw/sin that I really can't stand...and would love for it to change...or just go away for good! I mean, why do my goals have to start at the beginning of a week? If I want to do something or get something done...just do it NOW Chelsea!</div>
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I think the area that gets me the most when it comes to this "issue" is in blogging. I have had the hardest time transiting from doing just photography blog posts to now solely personal ones. I have this constant battle within me {did I <i>really</i> just say that I have an internal battle over <i>blogging</i>? I need help.} that screams "Blog EVERYTHING because you want to make it into a book one day"...but on the other hand just not knowing what in the world to blog about or not feeling like it "tells our story"! What?! {Did I really just say that?} Ugh! I know....total and completely First World Problems.</div>
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So...here is what I've decided to do.</div>
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Around the time that Davis was born I saw this clever little thing on <a href="http://pinterest.com/chelseasloneker/">Pinterest</a> via<a href="http://www.designsponge.com/2010/12/diy-project-vintage-postcard-calendar-journal.html"> The Design Sponge Blog</a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RKgO5Y-GDIM/UUznDpaWgEI/AAAAAAAACng/6enuWHVURlA/s1600/Daily+Calendar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RKgO5Y-GDIM/UUznDpaWgEI/AAAAAAAACng/6enuWHVURlA/s640/Daily+Calendar.jpg" width="550" /></a></div>
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Immediately I thought, "YES....now THIS is the answer to my problems."</div>
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Well...of course...I didn't start it on January 1st {because Davis was born on the 10th}, I didn't have any awesome vintage postcards laying around the house {even though a piece of card stock would have worked} and where in the world would I have found that cute little carton to hold the notecards {try your refrigerator, silly, it's holding a bunch of blueberries as we speak}, and needless to say..I never made it to Office Depot to get that cute little date stamper. Excuses. Excuses. Excuses.</div>
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Sooooo....to kill a few birds with one stone...I thought...why not implement this same concept on our blog?! Genius, I know, right?! And let's be honest, with a 1 year old running around, the chances of all of those notecards staying in order and actually IN that container is about as likely as me starting a workout regime on a Wednesday! Can I get an "Amen?!" :)</div>
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I think with this little "system" I can write as short or as long of a blog post that's needed and I won't feel like I have to "catch up on the last 3 months" that have passed by....which inevitably leads to the longest blog posts ever!</div>
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So, that's it. That's my goal. Just to blog about the little stuff. Or the big stuff. One line...or 401 lines. But the point is to just document it. Here. It might be a repeat of what I put on Instagram or Facebook that day. But who cares. I don't need to worry about it. {Once again...why all this worry?! Case. In. Point. Why I'm pretty sure this was on my list of "What are your current idols" from my Bible Study this week. Yuck.}</div>
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<i>Final confession: </i>This post was written on Friday, but saved so that I could post it on MONDAY! Haha</div>
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Here's to a great week of things starting on Monday!!</div>
The Slonekershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06880714595178450723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972507260720502461.post-11563121921071188892013-03-08T13:21:00.000-08:002013-03-08T13:21:11.244-08:00Omelets and ONEsies!! {Davis' First Birthday Party}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I know that I already blogged about <a href="http://slonekerphotos.blogspot.com/2013/02/davis-is-one-and-look-back-on-last-6.html">Davis turning ONE</a> but what I didn't mention was his First Birthday PARTY!! And what a party it was!</div>
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If you know anything about us, we are serious about some birthdays around here. {Confession: I am really the only one serious about birthdays...but I do plan on converting each member of our household...one by one. ha. Starting with Davis.} So, on his actual birthday, Del had the day off so we were able to spend the whole day together...as a family. It was wonderful. Del made Davis a special 1 pancake {which he wasn't really into...but it sure looked awesome, huh?}...but then we quickly moved onto the photo shoot that I had been looking forward to for...well...the last 12 months.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gRl-NybgOnc/UTpCr45aI2I/AAAAAAAACmQ/grkS299GU58/s1600/Birthday+Pancake+1+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gRl-NybgOnc/UTpCr45aI2I/AAAAAAAACmQ/grkS299GU58/s1600/Birthday+Pancake+1+copy.jpg" /></a>I know I've said it before....but I LOVE Smash Cake Sessions. So...I had BIG hopes and dreams for Davis'. I made the cake myself. Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting and everything! It was going to be perfect.</div>
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CUE: Dreams Shattered. Haha</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GonShPaD8mU/UTpCtclXkeI/AAAAAAAACm4/BoblYBhDH7s/s1600/BirthdayCake1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GonShPaD8mU/UTpCtclXkeI/AAAAAAAACm4/BoblYBhDH7s/s1600/BirthdayCake1.jpg" /></a></div>
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The child did not want ANYTHING to do with his cake. Nothing.</div>
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As soon as his hands and feet touched the icing he FLIPPED OUT! Liiiiike....screamed like I've never heard him scream before. Yikes!</div>
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But at least we were able to get a few sweet pictures of him {pre-cake meltdown}...and it captured the moment and his personality...which is what really matters.</div>
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{I'll stop crying about it hopefully by the time he graduates high school. haha. Kidding.}</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DQnAc3HINAg/UTpCs7Az12I/AAAAAAAACmo/EScgDc1c4DU/s1600/Birthday+Smile1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DQnAc3HINAg/UTpCs7Az12I/AAAAAAAACmo/EScgDc1c4DU/s1600/Birthday+Smile1.jpg" /></a></div>
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The rest of the day was great, just being spent as a family. At dinner we gave the cake another whirl so he could blow out his candle. He did like the candle part....</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5fyjOF_5768/UTpCscQYkZI/AAAAAAAACmc/g3MUcoD2tjY/s1600/Birthday+Slice+of+Cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5fyjOF_5768/UTpCscQYkZI/AAAAAAAACmc/g3MUcoD2tjY/s1600/Birthday+Slice+of+Cake.jpg" /></a>...but just ended up eating his favorite noodles. No cake. ha.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V7V3kHmYgK8/UTpCrGVUXJI/AAAAAAAACmA/10IKZXuDHdI/s1600/Birthday+Noodles1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V7V3kHmYgK8/UTpCrGVUXJI/AAAAAAAACmA/10IKZXuDHdI/s1600/Birthday+Noodles1.jpg" /></a></div>
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All that to say, for his birthday party...we decided that a cake might not be the <i>best</i> idea. haha.</div>
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Del had to work the night shift the day of his party, so we knew we needed to do something in the morning...and who doesn't love a good breakfast on Saturday morning?!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bhAfBa_ENy0/UTpCpFZn1QI/AAAAAAAAClc/wzl24nF1wh0/s1600/Birthday+Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bhAfBa_ENy0/UTpCpFZn1QI/AAAAAAAAClc/wzl24nF1wh0/s1600/Birthday+Banner.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black;">So, we decided to have an Omelets and ONEsies Party, in honor of Davis turning ONE!! </span>Everything we served had the letter "O" in it, and all the kids {and majority of the adults} came in their pajamas! It was sooooo fun!!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sZk5__527HI/UTpCqOks8II/AAAAAAAAClo/R8zgj-jcGV4/s1600/Birthday+Donuts1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sZk5__527HI/UTpCqOks8II/AAAAAAAAClo/R8zgj-jcGV4/s1600/Birthday+Donuts1.jpg" /></a></div>
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And what pajama party would truly be complete, if it didn't come with a stellar case of bed-head? ha. Thank you Davis for coming in "costume". :)</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uCDohx9IjXk/UTpCpAGvUpI/AAAAAAAAClU/g0CBeEoNLb8/s1600/Birthday+Bedhead1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uCDohx9IjXk/UTpCpAGvUpI/AAAAAAAAClU/g0CBeEoNLb8/s1600/Birthday+Bedhead1.jpg" /></a></div>
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Sweet friends in their jammies!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x1v9-g5kkGU/UTpCpFblzII/AAAAAAAAClY/mOZY8ZjjctM/s1600/Birthday+Boys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x1v9-g5kkGU/UTpCpFblzII/AAAAAAAAClY/mOZY8ZjjctM/s1600/Birthday+Boys.jpg" /></a></div>
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Sweet Mary Beth and Kennedy in their matching robes! I love their little friendship.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z2Fa6r1gJoM/UTpCsxYb0OI/AAAAAAAACms/RQKelKgxppc/s1600/Birthday+Robes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z2Fa6r1gJoM/UTpCsxYb0OI/AAAAAAAACms/RQKelKgxppc/s1600/Birthday+Robes.jpg" /></a></div>
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Del was our master Omelet chef, accompanied by our neighbor, John. They were the perfect team!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4PgCbcQOisg/UTpCrKya6iI/AAAAAAAACmE/bImdtSZHyK4/s1600/Birthday+Omelets1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4PgCbcQOisg/UTpCrKya6iI/AAAAAAAACmE/bImdtSZHyK4/s1600/Birthday+Omelets1.jpg" /></a></div>
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In addition to Omelets, we had dOnuts, yOgurt, granOla, cheeriOs, gO-gurt, fruit kabObs, and Oatmeal.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qp5SB1QNY10/UTpCquvAWRI/AAAAAAAACl8/JP0z_U62Hmk/s1600/Birthday+Food.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qp5SB1QNY10/UTpCquvAWRI/AAAAAAAACl8/JP0z_U62Hmk/s1600/Birthday+Food.jpg" /></a></div>
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Oh yeah.....and more donuts!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mO0Uf5Seb90/UTpCp5QV9vI/AAAAAAAAClk/wUWpgbTGsFQ/s1600/Birthday+Donut+Cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mO0Uf5Seb90/UTpCp5QV9vI/AAAAAAAAClk/wUWpgbTGsFQ/s1600/Birthday+Donut+Cake.jpg" /></a></div>
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This time around Davis loved his cake {but really, who wouldn't....it was made of donuts}, and especially loved all the candles.</div>
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Be still my heart. I could not love these two any more!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JpFVDN8-3TQ/UTpCpmpKIvI/AAAAAAAACls/B0rT8wPOX9c/s1600/Birthday+Cake+1+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JpFVDN8-3TQ/UTpCpmpKIvI/AAAAAAAACls/B0rT8wPOX9c/s1600/Birthday+Cake+1+copy.jpg" /></a></div>
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Then once the time arrived for Davis to open presents, I'm pretty sure some of these pictures could be found in the dictionary under the phrase "Beautiful Chaos". haha. I love the heart of kids and how they want to help and tell you everything that is in each bag! Wouldn't have it any other way!</div>
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{Of course all Davis wanted to do was play with the cardboard from the wrapping paper. haha.}</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OjFCAaVrrS0/UTpCrxxP-EI/AAAAAAAACmg/NF13TYgYegQ/s1600/Birthday+Presents.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OjFCAaVrrS0/UTpCrxxP-EI/AAAAAAAACmg/NF13TYgYegQ/s1600/Birthday+Presents.jpg" /></a></div>
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Then just like that...everyone's bellies were full and it was nap time!</div>
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We had such a great time, and we felt like it was the perfect mix of memorable, fun, kid & adult-friendly, but still laid back. Not one time during the party did Del or I feel stressed or overwhelmed...which is exactly what we wanted.</div>
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Thanks for reliving this special day with us and for "coming" to Davis' party! Please take a little breakfast snack on your way out! ;)</div>
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The Slonekershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06880714595178450723noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972507260720502461.post-37904432113179106112013-02-21T14:58:00.000-08:002013-02-21T14:58:11.518-08:00Valentine's Day & Our First BIG Illness<div style="text-align: center;">
This past week has been quite the whirlwind of emotions!! The week started out full of Love, Giving, time with Friends, and then ended with a big ole' yucky case of pneumonia {which by the way I still don't know how to spell. Thank you spell check for correcting me every. single. time.}</div>
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I don't know what comes over me sometimes, but I think that it is super fun to make the "non-major" holidays super...well...FUN! :) Like Valentine's Day!! Maybe it's the fact that we have a kiddo now, so it makes you want to celebrate more than you would otherwise. Or maybe it's just a good excuse to make an "ordinary" day a really "special" day! Or maybe it's just a good excuse to act like a kid again yourself!?! I don't know what it is...but I was totally into it this year!!<br />
And thanks to Pinterest, I had a million different things I wanted to do/make...but I finally landed on these fun little goodies for Davis' best buddies at Bible Study. Mainly because I had <b>everything</b> I needed at the house the night I decided to make them! Boom.</div>
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On Wednesdays we have Bible Study in the morning, and afterwards we usually go to lunch with some of the other ENT wives that also attend the same Bible Study! It's amazing how God provided great friends, fellow mommies, and sisters in Christ all within this group of women...whose husband's are also training to do the same thing mine is?!?! Truly...too good to be true!!</div>
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Davis dressed in his finest Valentine's Day attire (thank you Jonathan and Mandi for this shirt! It's perfect!!)...which made me laugh because last year, on Davis' first Valentine's Day, a friend had also given him a shirt about "the Ladies". haha. This may be a new tradition! {I <span style="color: red;">love</span> traditions!!}</div>
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Gah! {I'm sure you're not surprised} but look how much he has changed since last Valentine's Day?!!<br />
He was just a little over a month old at that point!</div>
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After we ate lunch, we traveled downtown to an amazing cupcake place called "Sweet Charlie B's". Hanna and Davis looooved their cupcakes...mainly the icing!</div>
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Davis really IS out numbered by the LAAADIIEEESSS! :)</div>
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So...on the ACTUAL Valentine's Day....I pretty much spent the entire day cooking! Thankfully Davis took a GREEEEAAAT nap in the afternoon, so I had some time to concentrate. Like I've said before, Del and I have never <i>really</i> celebrated Valentine's Day, but this year I did want to try and make something special and different. While we lived in LR, our favorite restaurant was Loca Luna and Del's favorite thing to eat there was Osso Buco....soooo...I thought I'd put on my big girl cooking pants and try to recreate it! With the help of <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mario-batali/osso-buco-with-toasted-pine-nut-gremolata-recipe/index.html">Mario Batali</a> and my awesome neighbor {that seriously held my hand though the entire process. I love you Stephanie} it was a HUGE hit! Del looooooved it!!</div>
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Sorry I didn't get a better picture of it....but by this point I was so severely starving {after smelling that goodness all day} I literally wanted to get it on our plates as fast as possible so that we could INHALE it!! haha. And that is exactly what we did. I served it over garlic mashed potatoes and a side of sautéed veggies. Yum-O! Davis had his favorite noodles to eat, so everyone was super happy!!</div>
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Then we had our neighbors, John and Stephanie, over for a delicious <a href="http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Sour-Cream-Pound-Cake">Sour Cream Pound Cake Dessert</a>...so it was the perfect way to end a really fun day!! And as if we hadn't laughed enough already that night with John and Stephanie...I got on Facebook before bed and when Del and I saw this...we were literally crying. If only I were that witty and hilarious.</div>
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Then on Friday....our wonderful, joyous, calorie-filled festivities came to a crashing halt when Davis woke up from his nap with 104.4 fever. </div>
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Cue: lots of blazing hot cuddles and not wanting to be put down for the next three days.</div>
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We stayed home all weekend, and with the help of Tylenol and Ibuprofen, his fever bounced around between 101-104. So on Monday, when his fever still was periodically spiking up to 104, we decided to go to the ER {because ALL the clinics on base were closed}. His chest X-ray confirmed that he in fact had pneumonia in the upper part of both of his lungs. He received a big shot of antibiotics in both legs, cried a lot, got really antsy being in the same small room for 5 hours....then after observing him a <i>little</i> longer, we headed home.</div>
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When we got home, he was starting to show some signs of respiratory distress, so after watching him for a little bit and discussing what we should do....we we decided to head BACK to the ER to make sure everything was ok. Better safe than sorry, right? :) Thankfully they got us right in...since we had just been there! ha. They monitored his breathing and oxygen levels for a while, and eventually all of his stats leveled out, so we felt comfortable with the decision to take him home rather than having him admitted overnight.</div>
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It truly was amazing, because while we were waiting and watching his stats, we began getting text after text saying that Davis was being prayed, prayed, PRAYED for!! It was amazing to feel that kind of love and support from The Church {as a whole} during that time of waiting. Thank you to all who prayed! It meant the world to us!<br />
Since then, our days have been filled with lots of meds, lots of napping {for Davis}, not too much eating, and <b>lots</b> of Pedialyte! ha. I have started to see an improvement in his demeanor today, so I'm hoping that this is just the first of many signs that he is on the mend!<br />
Thanks again to everyone who has been praying for our little guy! God is hearing your prayers and we are anxiously awaiting our little guy being back to 100%!<br />
Have a great day!<br />
The Slonekershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06880714595178450723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972507260720502461.post-42973576179076294512013-02-08T23:52:00.002-08:002013-02-08T23:52:11.960-08:00DAVIS IS ONE!!! {and a look back on the last 6 months}<div style="text-align: center;">
Before this month completely gets away from me....like the last 6 months have, I'd like to announce that our sweet baby boy is ONE!!!!</div>
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Can you even believe it? And the fact that I am just NOW blogging about these last 6 exciting months makes my mommy heart really sad. However, I will not succumb to the "social media <strike>guilt</strike> pressure" and beat myself up about it! Ha. I did make a few efforts to document these last few months...but then...I'm not sure what really happened. Oh yeah. I'm a mom now! THAT'S what happened! Not only have I supposedly lost 1/2 of my brain cells, it's now hard for me to complete a single task without starting another one....or picking up one that I forgot to finish yesterday. :)</div>
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Case. In. Point.</div>
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I originally started to backtrack {in SEPTEMBER} to do his 7 month blog post...but then obviously gave up...or got distracted...or had to cook dinner...or change a diaper...or well...who knows. And then two months later decided to lump the last 4 months in together....and that obviously didn't get finished either! haha. </div>
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So...here we are. It's January, 2013...and I feel like I should reintroduce myself! Ha.</div>
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Hi, My name is Chelsea...and I haven't blogged in over 6 months.</div>
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It's nice to meet you.</div>
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Whew....where do I even begin?!?!</div>
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I guess if I could sum up these last 6 months in a few words it would be:</div>
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Crawling, Chewing, Climbing, and Chasing!!</div>
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Right at the end of 6 months/the very beginning of 7, Davis took off! I thought the whole "crawling process" would be just that....a process. Not so much. He began with the army crawl...which was really cute and fun...and a phase that I expected to last....for maybe....I don't know...a month? ha. {Have I ever been around babies before? Ha. Apparently not!} That phase lasted 2 days. Done. He wasted no time in that department. Boom. Crawling.</div>
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And then what seemed to be a few days later {which in all actuality, probably a month later} teeth started coming out of no where. Once again. I thought it took a long time for teeth to come in. Apparently not. So we started introducing more "real" food, but this child still loves some baby food!<br />
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Then one night, I look back and Davis is taking off up the stairs! What!?!?! I turned to Del and said, "Where did he learn to do that?"....to which he replied, "I <i>might</i> have taught him that last night". haha. Awesome. *Note to self: Pick up baby gates at the store.*<br />
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Then on Thanksgiving Day, Davis started walking. Our 10 1/2 months old boy took off like he had been walking for years! Which truly, I'd have to say, was the biggest blessing and exactly the gift we needed on that day.<br />
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A week before, Davis had crawled over to our gas fireplace and put his hand on the glass in an effort to pull himself up to a standing position....which resulted in his right palm and fingertips severely burned. Ugh. Maybe the worst night of parenting to date. Del and I were literally sitting a foot away from where it happened and in a split second we just heard screaming...which lasted for the next 2 1/2 hours until he finally fell asleep sitting in his high chair eating dinner. So, on Thanksgiving Morning we took him in to the ER to make sure everything was ok with his hand. We just kept thinking "what an awful 1st Thanksgiving for our little buddy"....so when we got home and he started taking his first few steps, it was exactly what we needed to turn our sorrow into joy!! What a gift it was!<br />
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Thankfully his hand healed perfectly! Del made sure we followed the instructions of the ER doctors and the doctors at the Burn Center in Seattle to a tee...because when it comes to an infant and the use of their right hand...you don't mess around. And now you can't even tell anything happened!<br />
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Our first Thanksgiving in WA was spent with our dear friends, The Pulleys. It's amazing how the Lord knows exactly what you need...and He knew12 years ago...when Lindsey and I lived on the same floor in the dorms our Freshman year at the UofA...that we needed to be friends for something He had planned later in life! {aka, them moving to WA two weeks after we did!!} So thankful that we serve a God that is ALL knowing and whose plans are PERFECT! Their friendship has been a HUGE blessing to us.<br />
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Ok...back to Davis...<br />
Since he has started walking, life looks a lot different. He is super busy and suuuuuper curious...all. the. time. But thankfully he is still taking 2 naps and sleeping great through the night. So, we get a few little quiet moments throughout the day.<br />
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Davis' First Christmas was great {aka very anti-climactic. ha}. We had built it up so much in our minds and hearts...wanting the day to be filled with new traditions and seeing pure joy across his face as he ripped into his gifts....Ha...not so much! He wasn't old enough to enjoy all of our new traditions...and as for the gifts...he could have cared less. All he really wanted to play with was his broom! Of course!<br />
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We celebrated Christmas as a family in WA and then headed to AR for Christmas and New Years. It was a wonderful time with family, and the few friends we were able to see. Unfortunately, both sides of the family were hit with either the stomach bug or a nasty virus...so it really limited us on the amount of interaction we had with the outside world.<br />
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But we made it back to WA safely and just a week later our baby turned ONE!!<br />
Del had the day off work, so we spent the day as a family! It truly was wonderful for this momma's heart....and I'm sure Davis enjoyed the day as well! :) ha. I agree with the friends that said that the <i>leading</i> <i>up</i> to the 1st birthday was "worse" than the actual day. Amen and Amen. As I rocked him the night before he turned one, I never wanted the moment to end. I flipped through all of my favorite pictures from the last year on my phone and was overcome with joy, awe, and unworthiness. It truly is amazing watching this little boy grow, and am humbled at the thought that the Lord entrusted him to us for this time! Truly amazing.<br />
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Thank you for enduring this looooong post! I just wanted to get some of this stuff down before I forgot it all!! Wishing you a very happy weekend from WA!</div>
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The Slonekershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06880714595178450723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972507260720502461.post-13849953791273924822012-09-06T00:24:00.000-07:002012-09-06T00:24:17.354-07:004, 5, and 6 Months<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Warning: Picture overload and longest post <b>ever</b> written here at Sloneker Stories. :)</i><br />
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I'm grouping these last three months together for a few reasons:<br />
A. Because looking back on it, these three months were such a blur it seems like they all just kind of ran together.<br />
{and} B. {which may be the more obvious one} There was SO MUCH that happened within these three months that I just didn't take the time to sit down and blog about them.<br />
How's that for honesty?! ha.<br />
So...let's see how sharp my memory is at recalling maybe some of the biggest developmental months thus far in our son's life. Yikes! {deep breath...here we go.}<br />
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On May 10th Davis turned <b>4 Months Old</b>!<br />
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At his appointment he still proved to be longer than he is wider.</div>
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He was 45% in weight, 86% in height, and moved up to 41% in head circumference!! :)</div>
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Thankfully Del went with me for this one so that he could experience the dreaded shots. I'm pretty sure he had a harder time with it than I did. But at least he now knows that I wasn't exaggerating about how sad the whole experience is. He sure loves his boy.</div>
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On his "birthday" we received this picture that was taken just a few...28 years ago.</div>
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Can you guess who this is on the left? </div>
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Nope, it's not Del. It's me! My mom sent me this picture on Davis' 4 Month "birthday" and we were all a little shocked. Everyone always says how much Davis looks like Del...so what we've decided is that he looks like me as a baby, but he looks like Del as an adult. So when you add those two together, I guess you could say that as a baby, I looked like adult Del?! Haha.</div>
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But other than the big 4 month check-up, we hit the ground running once May arrived. We started out the month traveling to NWA for my first wedding of the Summer Season....which unfortunately was my last wedding to shoot with Blaire. She moved to Atlanta at the end of May so it was a bitter-sweet day for sure. But thankfully, while I was gone, Del was successful at giving Davis a bottle! Around 3 months Davis decided that the bottle just wasn't for him. {Awesome, huh?} So this was definitely a source of anxiety for me knowing that June was packed with weddings and I obviously didn't want my child to go 12 hours without eating!<br />
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A few weeks later we celebrated my First Mother's Day...which was so so so sweet. Well...<i>technically</i> last year was my first Mother's Day, but I didn't know that I was pregnant yet. We spent the morning snuggling and opening gifts...and then headed to NWA to spend the day with my mom, gma, and aunt {who is my God-Mother}.<br />
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It was a special day for sure!!<br />
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After Mother's Day was over, we started preparing for the mass about of people and activities that were about to hit us that very next week.<br />
We had our final meeting with our CMA Bible Study. We are going to miss this group dearly, but we are thankful for the practical/Biblical Truths that were poured into us by the Houks and Dietrichs over these last 3 years. I do not have the words to express the deep love and appreciation we have for these dear couples.<br />
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On May 18th we kicked off Graduation Weekend by attending Del's Honors Convocation. It was a very special ceremony where each of the med students were "hooded" and recognized for their accomplishments during med school. Del asked Dr. Houk if he would "hood him" {I don't know the technical name for it. ha} and of course he did...which made it even more special.<br />
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Then the following afternoon, Del "officially" graduated for Med School. Woo-hoooo!!<br />
{I'll do an entire separate post on this event because there is just too much to mention here...and WAY too many pictures}<br />
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Then on Sunday, we loaded up the car and headed to Branson for a few days with Del's family. It was so special to have them all in town for the occasion. Especially because this was the first time for Davis to meet his cousins Will and Aubrey!<br />
{I don't think Davis was a huge fan of the life jacket. ha}<br />
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In our minds it was the perfect plan: We would stay in Branson from Sunday-Wednesday, come home Wednesday afternoon, finish packing our house, load up the truck Thursday morning, head to NWA on Thursday evening, so that Del and my dad could leave for WA on Friday morning.<br />
Haha! Yeah. Right.<br />
The plan would have worked out perfectly if it wouldn't have taken ALL DAY {literally} for us to pack up the truck on Thursday. My dad even came down to help because we were having to do it all ourselves because EVERYONE else we knew was also packing and loading trucks that same day! They packed the truck into the night, when we realized that we didn't have anywhere for Davis to sleep! ha. Cue pallet on the bathroom floor!<br />
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Davis and I finally went to Chris and Susan's to sleep and Del and my dad slept at a hotel. Ha. So...technically our last night in LR was spent in different places. Oh well.<br />
Friday morning, we grabbed Chick-fil-A and said goodbye to 100 S. Plaza Drive.<br />
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Del and my dad stopped off in NWA once Davis and I got there...and then headed west, while I stayed in NWA with my mom because I had a wedding to shoot the next day.<br />
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Then on Monday, my mom, aunt, Davis and I boarded the plane to meet Del and my dad at our new home! It was a group effort to keep Davis happy on the flight from Dallas to Seattle, especially on the descent because the pressure was hurting his ears BAD. And by bad, I mean BAD. Even the stewardess and the lady sitting in front of us walked him around for a while. Nothing helped. It all made sense the next morning when he spiked a super high fever and we realized that he had his first cold. Poor baby!<br />
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But we arrived safely {even though I have a few more gray hairs to show for it} and we quickly go to work unpacking....and tending to a sick baby.<br />
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My mom, dad and aunt stayed until the end of the week to help us unpack and then on June 10,</div>
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Davis turned<b> 5 Months Old</b>!</div>
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At this point we were still in Washington for another week, so we soaked up as much time with Del as we possibly could.</div>
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We visited surrounding towns, churches, and took in the amazing NW Summer Weather!!</div>
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I mean really, does it get much better?</div>
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A morning run in June, wearing a light jacket, a sleeping baby, and a beautiful view of Mt. Rainier?!</div>
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Please someone pinch me!!</div>
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But the time came for Davis and I to pack our bags and head back to AR for the 3-weekend-wedding-palooza!</div>
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By this point Davis was sitting up a little bit, so it made going through the airport with only one set of hands a little easier.<br />
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He did great on both of our flights back to AR! Thankfully no issues with the pressure this time around.<br />
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I think the saddest part about having to make this trip back to AR was that we weren't able to celebrate Del's first Father's Day with him...which also happened to be our Anniversary this year. Double Sad. We celebrated it before we left WA, but it was still a little heart wrenching for this sentimental girl. Thankfully God gave the idea of Skype and FaceTime to a wonderful human being, and because of that, Davis was able to see his Dada "in person" on this oh so special day!<br />
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But one of the really great things about being back in AR was that I was reunited with my camera! ha. I had left it there so that I wouldn't have to haul it back and forth with a baby in tow. And can I tell you...it was a sweet reunion! :)</div>
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By this point Davis was really starting to try to sit up without using his hands...but there were obviously a lot of face plants in the process. haha.</div>
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Davis loves his Grandpa! And I think the feelings are mutual. ;)</div>
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Oh I love this sweet boy! And those eyes. Gah. Melt my heart.</div>
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Ha. And who needs a paci when you have your bottom lip?!</div>
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Thankfully while we were in NWA, our time wasn't totally consumed with work!<br />
We were able to do fun things like:<br />
.....have breakfast in "our" jammies with Sarah at ChickfilA....<br />
{By the way, the closest CFA to us is in Idaho, so I will definitely be working on perfecting my Chicken Sandwich Recipe. Please don't let that deter you from visiting! ha. We have other really great restaurants and I will also cook for you!!}<br />
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...Davis rolled over from his back to his stomach for the first time while we were there...<br />
{which I, of course missed. Sneaky kid.}<br />
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...we were able to have dinner with our special friends Billy, Gretchen, Ben, and Ashley....<br />
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...and we went Zip Lining!!<br />
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My Aunt Sue turned 60 this year and for her birthday she wanted all of us to go zip lining with her! ha. It was such a fun day with family and friends.<br />
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{Don't be scared, Chelsea! You can do this!!}<br />
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We went in two groups, so while our group was up in the trees Davis stayed with "group 1".<br />
I think he had fun as well!! :)<br />
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And of course our trip couldn't end without a good ole "throw up all over mommy-then poop in the tub while I'm cleaning you up-resulting in a bath in the kitchen sink at 3am" fun fest!! haha.<br />
Which honestly I didn't mind because it resulted in one of my absolute favorite pictures of Davis!<br />
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Man I could just eat him up!!<br />
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Once the last wedding had been photographed, we jumped on a plane and headed back to WA for a few more weeks with Del!</div>
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I was so happy to be back on Sunday so that we could be there to "see Del off" on his first official day of Residency. And by "see him off" I mean, "peek through my sleepy eyes and try to muster enough energy to say 'bye and have a great day'" as he left the house at 3:30 am.<br />
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So to try and "redeem myself" for not "seeing him off" June Cleaver style, I thought it would be nice to have a "welcome home from your first day of Residency dinner" ready for him when he got off work. Umm...yeah right. He called around 7pm to tell me that he just found out that he was on call and didn't know when he would be home. Welcome to the Reality of Residency. So, I gave myself a pep-talk, put on my big girl pants, and embraced the fact that this would be the first of many dinners that Davis and I would eat alone.<br />
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But once again I was so thankful for our CMA leaders that prepared us and engrained Truth into our minds and hearts because in that moment their words came flooding back and brought peace instead of tears. It's ok for Davis and I to eat dinner alone every once in a while, because the truth of the matter is that God has called Del to be a doctor for this season of life, and until that time is over, there will be people that need him at the hospital at that moment more than I need him at home. Period. So, as I preach that to myself, if you see me moping around...you can remind me of that simple truth as well. ;)<br />
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So, even though he was on call his first night of Residency, he only had to work a few more days that first week since it was the week of July 4th! And since he is in the ARMY...that holiday is kind of a big deal. :)<br />
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We spent the weekend with new friends and co-workers, but also exploring a few of the trails around our house! One of them leads you all the way down to the Sound. Pretty sweet, huh?<br />
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Unfortunately we were still getting our house in order, but Davis did a nice job of helping Del with paperwork! ha.<br />
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And then we finished off the weekend by spending the afternoon with one of the other ENT resident's and his wife and daughter at a local beach/park. <br />
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The ocean + mountains in the background = 3 happy Slonekers!!<br />
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And just a few short days later...on July 10th Davis turned <b>6 Months Old</b>!!</div>
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{also the first month that he realized that this sticker makes a really fun noise!}</div>
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And this is definitely the stage where these pictures get a lot harder to take!! ha.</div>
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Lot of eating shoes, leaning forward, watching Burt, rolling over, wanting to grab the camera, trying to get him to smile and look at the camera at the same time....all the while I'm just rapidly firing off pictures! ha.</div>
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...and this is how our 3 min photo shoot ended. ha.<br />
A nose dive off the chair probably isn't the best idea.<br />
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And of course with every major milestone, comes the dreaded shots.<br />
This visit was a little different since we were at a totally new hospital with new faces and procedures. But thankfully God answered our little prayers and provided a wonderful physician and an excellent nursing staff! However I don't know if these visits will ever be easy....especially for the little guy. They gave me time to cuddle with him right after he got his shots and he immediately fell asleep.<br />
Never happened before. Break. My. Heart.<br />
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But after a good nap, he was back to his smiley happy self!<br />
Thankful for this growing baby boy!!<br />
At 6 months his stats hadn't changed much:<br />
33% for weight, 82% for height and 38% head circumference.<br />
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And just like that, Davis and I were back on a plane to finish out our last leg of our travels</div>
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{On a side note: isn't Mt. Rainier beautiful?}</div>
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We flew in on Thursday, and on Friday morning, we drove down to Little to catch up with some friends, find Mack a good home, and of course....<br />
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....attend Cow appreciation Day!! We were sad that Ava wasn't able to join us for dinner, but we had a great dinner catching up with "Aunt Sus"!<br />
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The next day I photographed, worshiped and celebrated the wedding of our Sweet Emily and her awesome husband Taylor!! {Don't worry, there will be an entire blog post dedicated to them! It was the perfect way to finish up this wedding season in AR} Oh this picture just does my heart good!</div>
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And once the wedding was over, we said our final good-byes, and boarded our last flight back in WA!<br />
However once we arrived, Del wasn't able to pick us up because he was still at work {which I knew ahead of time, but was secretly hoping that he would surprise us at the airport, like something straight out of a chick-flick} so I choked back tears...put on my big girl pants {once again} and loaded our luggage, car seat, stroller, camera equipment, and our 6 month old up on the public transit, and rode the bus to one of the stops near the base where Del could meet us.<br />
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Davis loved it though...which made the whole experience a little easier to swallow. ha.<br />
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Now that we are back {for real this time}, we have been truly exploring the area, along with all the fun things that this city has to offer! We love the Farmer's Market in Olympia, some of the local shops and bakeries, fresh produce stands, and the fountains near the Capitol are also really neat, but the water is freezing so Davis wasn't a huge fan. Maybe next sum me?! :)<br />
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And as an added bonus, Blaire and her kids came to stay with us for a few days at the end of the month! She snapped a few family pictures for us with our 6 month old boy, for which we are so grateful!! True Treasures. </div>
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WHEW!!! WE MADE IT!!<br />
That about wraps up the last 3-ish months of our lives! I know I left out so much...but that at least helps me remember some of the highlights. Thanks for persevering with me through that, and for keeping up with us through our blog as we are embarking on this new adventure in this new part of the country!<br />
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{Can you even believe your eyes at how much our little guy has grown and changed?! ha}</div>
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I hope you have a great rest of the week!</div>
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The Slonekershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06880714595178450723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972507260720502461.post-2589055031455073332012-05-09T09:53:00.006-07:002012-05-09T09:53:41.908-07:00This Momentary Marriage<div style="text-align: center;">
As Wedding Season is officially in full swing here at our house....and my days are filled with editing, emailing, planning, brainstorming...along with taking care of a 4 month old...I was stopped dead in my tracks when a dear friend and mentor posted this on her Facebook Page. It's a video from John Piper's <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/">Desiring God</a> website, that paints the most beautiful picture of what unconditional Christ-centered love in a marriage looks like. After watching it myself, I immediately asked Del to do the same, and I feel like our marriage will be better for the 8 min we took to sit down and take in this couple's story.<br />
I challenge you to do the same.<br />
"God {truly} is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him."....so may He be the center of your life and marriage today and always!<br />
Have a wonderful day!</div>
<br />
<center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/38033654?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=ffffff" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe></center>The Slonekershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06880714595178450723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972507260720502461.post-76431433560464031892012-05-08T15:29:00.002-07:002012-05-08T15:30:13.495-07:00Rachael's Bridal Portraits {Little Rock Wedding Photographer}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lNwBBpHi7yM/T6mQbMwproI/AAAAAAAACJI/7_zZ6i_0Nbs/s1600/Tacoma+Washington+Wedding+Photographer+Rachael038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lNwBBpHi7yM/T6mQbMwproI/AAAAAAAACJI/7_zZ6i_0Nbs/s400/Tacoma+Washington+Wedding+Photographer+Rachael038.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you know Rachael, or have been on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=377622372272856&set=a.137722562929506.12565.117311718303924&type=1&theater">Facebook</a> recently, you know that her and Zach tied the knot on Saturday in perfect southern-beauty and God-honoring fashion! Rachael couldn't have looked any more beautiful and the day not only sparkled with burlap, broaches, and lace....but it sparkled with the love of God that resides in both of their hearts and burst forth as they became man and wife. We took Rachael's Bridal Portraits a few weeks ago at the Capitol and I've had to remind myself {almost} daily "Do not blog about these or put these on Facebook" {and now, repeat each time you get on your computer}! Rachel is full of class and she looked absolutely stunning in her Bridals and on their Big Day! Her dress was new, but her veil was borrowed from her mother which made these pictures all the more special!</div>
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I love that you can see her reflection in the door of the Capitol.</div>
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Beautiful Details!</div>
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Congrats to the new Mr. and Mrs. Eichenberger!</div>
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More of their Wedding Pictures coming soon!!</div>The Slonekershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06880714595178450723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972507260720502461.post-50084168804746915322012-05-07T14:27:00.000-07:002012-05-08T14:27:59.949-07:00Meet Me Here Monday: The Great Chocolate Chip Cookie Hunt<div style="text-align: center;">
The words were spoken. The challenge was before us. And we rose to the occasion.</div>
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A few months after Davis was born, Susan made the comment, "I'm a mom now. I need to be able to make a perfect chocolate chip cookie." So...{being the "good" friend that I am} I initiated the search...and we got to baking!! :)</div>
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{If you were looking for a good way to NOT lose your baby weight...this is a GREAT way to do it!! ha.}</div>
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Everyone we asked always said, "I just make the ones off the back of the Nestle Chocolate Chip Bag"....but what we began to see was that everyone had their own twist to it! Some added more flour, some used Parkay, some used Crisco, some used a mixture of both. Ugh! How is a girl to choose! And because I don't know the science behind what causes what to taste like what....and what adding or subtracting different ingredients does...it left us just making a BUNCH of batches to try the different recipes! All we're looking for a cookie thats soft on the inside, but that still has a little crunch on the edges. Not too airy, and not too gooey! Is that too much for a girl to ask?! :)</div>
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Of course, we wanted to try these from Pinterest because they look too amazing for words...</div>
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....but some of the ingredients were a little crazy....so we opted out of trying <a href="http://tendercrumb.blogspot.com/2008/09/my-favorite-chocolate-chip-cookie.html">these</a>!</div>
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Then Susan's brother-in-law sent her this recipe that was pretty fantastic {with the adjustment of using one stick of salted and one unsalted}</div>
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The only problem is...the cookies are FA-NOMINAL right out of the oven...but they really only last a day or two. Seriously. The texture changes and they aren't as good.</div>
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{but did that stop us from eating multiple batches? of course not!!}</div>
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But then I saw that a friend had pinned <a href="http://www.lovintheoven.com/2009/03/soft-chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies.html">this</a> recipe...so I thought I'd give it a shot!</div>
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The dough is EXCELLENT {I know...Raw cookie dough isn't good for you...but how can you resist to nibble on it just a little bit?} And the cookies are pretty good as well!!</div>
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We've put the search on hold for just a little while because we feel like we've landed on a few recipes that we enjoy and can live with for the time being....or at least until we try someone else's that are so good that we just have to ask for the recipe!</div>
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If you have an amazing recipe that you'd like to pass on...feel free to leave the link or the recipe in the comments! I'd love to try them {even though I'm pretty sure I just heard my thighs scream as I typed that}! ha</div>
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Happy Monday!</div>
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Oh, and to follow up with my <a href="http://www.slonekerphotos.blogspot.com/2012/04/meet-me-here-monday-pinterest-palooza.html">Pinterest Pos</a>t:</div>
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I did end up making the <a href="http://www.plainchicken.com/search/label/sandwich?updated-max=2011-04-26T03%3A01%3A00-05%3A00&max-results=20">Master's Egg Salad</a> and it was....well....it was good! However I was so hungry by the time I got done writing that post that I was shaking so I think when I was measuring the salt I added a little too much! ha. So, next time I make it, I'll probably omit the salt and just add it in at the end if it needs it!</div>
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<br /></div>The Slonekershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06880714595178450723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972507260720502461.post-81426058487135628742012-05-01T15:52:00.001-07:002012-05-01T15:52:13.750-07:00Shepherd is ONE!!! {Little Rock Family Photographer}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-igTkK1LJ5H0/T6Bg6d-rqeI/AAAAAAAACGw/cZmmPipCSP4/s1600/DSC_1432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-igTkK1LJ5H0/T6Bg6d-rqeI/AAAAAAAACGw/cZmmPipCSP4/s400/DSC_1432.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'll admit, I got a little teary as I was driving to Fayetteville to photograph Shepherd's 1 year pictures. Maybe it was because I can remember making the same drive to take his <a href="http://slonekerphotos.blogspot.com/2011/05/sweet-cheeks-shepherd-arkansas-newborn.html">newborn pictures</a>, except for this time I had a newborn of my own in the back seat...and I know that time is going to go by just as fast for our little guy as it has for Shepherd. It has been so fun to watch his grow over this last year, and once again, I just feel honored that I was able to document each of these major milestones in his life. He is one of the sweetest little boys...and eyes that will melt your heart! Congrats Josh and Aubrey. You guys are raising a beautiful little boy!</div>
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This one is my Favorite. Favorite. Favorite.</div>
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Touchdown Razorbacks!!!</div>
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I'm outta' here!...Let's go eat some cake!</div>
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Where's the cake? I smell cake!!</div>
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YEA!!! Cake!!!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MJVdEIqs2JQ/T6BhWIn8v_I/AAAAAAAACIQ/cWyeEM-EWW8/s1600/Shepherd4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MJVdEIqs2JQ/T6BhWIn8v_I/AAAAAAAACIQ/cWyeEM-EWW8/s1600/Shepherd4.jpg" /></a></div>
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Boom! Let's do this.</div>
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...and the sugar coma begins...</div>
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Put a fork in me....I'm done!!</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Happy 1st Birthday, Sheppy!!</span></b></div>The Slonekershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06880714595178450723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972507260720502461.post-28555137155248823092012-04-30T16:14:00.000-07:002012-05-01T16:14:52.197-07:00Meet Me Here Monday: The Last One<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
It started back in September when Davis was growing inside my belly...</div>
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....and it ended {appropriately} with him sitting right next to me.</div>
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That's right...</div>
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10 Seasons, Hundreds of Outbursts of Laughter, Multiple lines quoted {and re-quoted}, and Many Tears of Joy later....</div>
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We have finally finished watching every episode of Friends there is!</div>
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<a href="http://susanrod.blogspot.com/">Susan</a> and <a href="http://kristinbasham.blogspot.com/">Kristin</a> gave me the entire set for my birthday, and it honestly could not have been a more perfect gift...especially because Del was gone all of September and October! So, yes...I will admit there were countless nights when I would watch an entire disc in one setting...but I mean really....could this show <b>BE</b> any funnier?! :)</div>
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It was a little sad to finish the last episode....maybe it's because we are getting ready to move and all of our med school friends are getting ready to be spread across the country....but it's nice to know that I can pop in some of our favorite episodes anytime I need a good laugh!</div>
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I hope your week is off to a great start and you are enjoying it with all your FRIENDS and family!! :)</div>The Slonekershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06880714595178450723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972507260720502461.post-9615101582200698252012-04-23T10:58:00.000-07:002012-04-23T10:58:07.433-07:00Meet Me Here Monday: Pinterest Palooza<div style="text-align: center;">
I, like most people, am totally in love with Pinterest these days.</div>
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When thinking about what I'm going to make each week for dinner...the first place I look is Pinterest.</div>
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I just love it! But really, what's not to love?! A place to store all of your favorite things, possible favorite things, funny things, kid things, or just things that look plain yummy. When people ask what I "pin" the most....hands down.... it's<a href="http://pinterest.com/chelseasloneker/give-us-this-day/"> recipes</a>. Don't get me wrong, I love to look at fun house ideas...but the practical side of me kicks in and when it comes to actually doing the things I pin...let's be honest...I'm not going to go redo my bathroom to look like Kate Moss'. Just sayin'. Ha.</div>
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And because most of the recipes that I pin are super easy and mostly require ingredients that I already have in the house...I <strike>sometimes</strike> quite frequently, have Pinterest Palooza Parties with myself! And by "parties" I mean, making 3-4 random things at a time and making Del try them to see if he likes them! Sometimes they are meals...but most of the time, they are just snacky things...or {let's be honest} desserts.</div>
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Here are a few of our Pinterest Palooza Winners:</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> In the Category of Snacks, Desserts, and Drinks:</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://gimmesomeoven.com/no-bake-energy-bites/">Energy Bites</a><br />
Ok, these are seriously awesome...and don't last more than a few days in our fridge!<br />
We did make a few changes to the recipe just because we didn't have coconut...but I don't really like coconut anyway...so we replaced it with granola. These. Are. Dynamite!!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ELjZwOFYog4/T5WM8UeN1uI/AAAAAAAACF0/LOO3Z5vzTzM/s1600/healthy-energy-bites.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ELjZwOFYog4/T5WM8UeN1uI/AAAAAAAACF0/LOO3Z5vzTzM/s400/healthy-energy-bites.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.laurenslatest.com/no-bake-chocolate-chip-granola-bars-easy-healthy/">Granola Bars</a><br />
These are also really good...but you definitely want to let them cool completely otherwise they will just fall apart. But good luck resisting them before they cool. And if you give into temptation and nibble on them before they are all the way cool....they are still super yummy.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sWim2xkLygc/T5WM6ch7t5I/AAAAAAAACFw/yZPr97pyW8g/s1600/granola+bars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sWim2xkLygc/T5WM6ch7t5I/AAAAAAAACFw/yZPr97pyW8g/s400/granola+bars.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2011/03/saltine-cracker-toffee.html?utm_source=BP_recent">Saltine Cracker Toffee</a><br />
Ok, this stuff is like crack with chocolate poured on the top! It's SO EASY, takes only a few ingredients and is done in 10 minutes start to finish. Just go make a pan. It's really that good.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hsq8YFCDDRA/T5WM_ND0PcI/AAAAAAAACGQ/qo0owTS9acM/s1600/saltine-cracker-toffee-wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hsq8YFCDDRA/T5WM_ND0PcI/AAAAAAAACGQ/qo0owTS9acM/s400/saltine-cracker-toffee-wm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://mayflaum.com/2011/06/08/the-chocolate-cola-cake/">Coke-a-Cola Cake</a><br />
Seriously the best chocolate cake I've ever eaten. The frosting is really what makes it. Yumm...I can practically taste it right now.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8MSQPnn8AXk/T5WM45Gyg6I/AAAAAAAACFo/nq4mICzr_Zo/s1600/coke-copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8MSQPnn8AXk/T5WM45Gyg6I/AAAAAAAACFo/nq4mICzr_Zo/s400/coke-copy.jpg" width="316" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/04/12/strawberry-lemonade-healthy-slurpee/">Strawberry Lemonade Slurpee</a><br />
This is another fun treat if you want something light and refreshing....that takes 2 minutes to make. I've been making it with strawberries, peaches, and pineapples and it tastes like Tropical Smoothie's Sunrise Sunset Smoothie. So, I count this as a Financial Win because I save $5 every time I make this! :)</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GvSUsez_8S4/T5WNAYKjJXI/AAAAAAAACGY/u8bYDrzTiNk/s1600/straw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GvSUsez_8S4/T5WNAYKjJXI/AAAAAAAACGY/u8bYDrzTiNk/s400/straw.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">In the Category of Meals:</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.fabulousfoods.com/recipes/the-biggest-loser-s-baked-eggs-in-turkey-cups">Egg Cups</a><br />
These are regulars here in our house. I'm always looking for something quick and healthy for breakfast...and with Del leaving at 4:00 every morning, these are great to just pop in the microwave and eat before he leaves.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ISd7vvQtPQo/T5WM03iQT5I/AAAAAAAACFI/6n9M5FMCCd0/s1600/1239757993_egg_turkey_cups.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ISd7vvQtPQo/T5WM03iQT5I/AAAAAAAACFI/6n9M5FMCCd0/s320/1239757993_egg_turkey_cups.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/111041947032461250/">Pancake Muffins</a><br />
These fall in the same category as the Egg Cups. I fried up some turkey bacon yesterday morning and topped these off with that...and it. was. de-lish! But I should put a warning on these...it's really hard to not eat at least 6 {if not more} in one setting! I had to display some serious self restraint after making these yesterday morning. But I will say, I came out victorious! :)</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BDZpcKhFldE/T5WM-aK1ZtI/AAAAAAAACGI/vJXzmxv9uHk/s1600/pancakemuffins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BDZpcKhFldE/T5WM-aK1ZtI/AAAAAAAACGI/vJXzmxv9uHk/s400/pancakemuffins.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.housebeautiful.com/kitchens/recipes/capellini-with-tomatoes-and-basil">Summer Spaghetti</a></div>
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We added some grilled chicken that we had the night before to this and it was dynamite! It's actually on our menu to have for tonight again! Love it!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZdWvC75ixuo/T5WM9NDX2JI/AAAAAAAACGA/xPdo_3pCgmo/s1600/ina-garten-recipe-0310-lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZdWvC75ixuo/T5WM9NDX2JI/AAAAAAAACGA/xPdo_3pCgmo/s1600/ina-garten-recipe-0310-lg.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.framedcooks.com/2011/06/hawaiian-barbecue-pulled-chicken.html">Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken</a><br />
I like BBQ just as much as the next guy...but this stuff is seriously GOOD! I think my favorite part about it is that it's not greasy like a lot of BBQ. It's SO easy and SO yummy!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-06wKy9uiFh4/T5WM18JO9LI/AAAAAAAACFQ/L3BY9QA5qns/s1600/bbqchicken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-06wKy9uiFh4/T5WM18JO9LI/AAAAAAAACFQ/L3BY9QA5qns/s320/bbqchicken.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com/2011/10/crispy-cheddar-chicken.html">Crispy Cheddar Chicken</a><br />
This was one of the first Pinterest Recipes I made and once again, Easy and Good! I made the sauce that goes on it...but we ended up not using it because it was great just by itself!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G2XaUmqhzP4/T5WM25flx3I/AAAAAAAACFY/YiqwDMx_Anc/s1600/cheddarchicken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G2XaUmqhzP4/T5WM25flx3I/AAAAAAAACFY/YiqwDMx_Anc/s320/cheddarchicken.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2008/02/end-of-chicken-parmesan-as-you-know-it.html">Chicken Parmesan</a><br />
I may never make another Chicken Parmesan recipe as long as I live {unless it's my mother-in-laws}. We divided up the recipe and took 1/2 to a friend and had the other 1/2 for dinner and loved every single bite! It's nice to know that it's not fried but doesn't lack in taste at all! Great for a quick weeknight dinner.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jmg8kp2OU2g/T5WM3glBbYI/AAAAAAAACFg/kgZwCbTvv54/s1600/chickenparm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jmg8kp2OU2g/T5WM3glBbYI/AAAAAAAACFg/kgZwCbTvv54/s1600/chickenparm.jpg" /></a></div>
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Well, now that I'm officially STARVING, I'm going to go make "<a href="http://www.plainchicken.com/search/label/sandwich?updated-max=2011-04-26T03%3A01%3A00-05%3A00&max-results=20">Agusta's Egg Salad Sandwich</a>" for lunch...even though I wish I had a little bit of everything I just listed! But I have high hopes of this being the best Egg Salad Sandwich I've ever had! :) I'll let you know how it turns out!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2Ko5M2B-Jvk/T5WWWLcm6QI/AAAAAAAACGg/yZVp42895vw/s1600/Augusta+Egg+Salad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2Ko5M2B-Jvk/T5WWWLcm6QI/AAAAAAAACGg/yZVp42895vw/s320/Augusta+Egg+Salad.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And....let's be honest...now that I'm a mom, I can't do a personal blog post without posting a picture of our Little Lovie! He's getting so strong!! We just can't get enough of this kid!</div>
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Happy Pinning and Happy Monday!!</div>
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</div>The Slonekershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06880714595178450723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972507260720502461.post-45849473972888590492012-04-17T21:20:00.001-07:002012-04-18T22:02:56.721-07:00Ava is ONE!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p_tN5PBOGpc/T4-S40HepwI/AAAAAAAACEY/GNB8lfVggpA/s1600/DSC_9462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p_tN5PBOGpc/T4-S40HepwI/AAAAAAAACEY/GNB8lfVggpA/s400/DSC_9462.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Quick Confession: This post is SO overdue, it's not even funny. But, these days..."better late than never" is a motto I'm learning to live by. :) "Our" sweet Ava turned ONE two weeks after Davis was born....so we knew we needed to get her One Year/Smash Cake Pictures in <i>before</i> I became utterly sleep deprived! I love this girl as if she was my own, and the fact that I've had the honor of documenting each major milestone in her life has been such a blessing. I'm definitely going to miss this girl next year when she and her mom and dad move away...but thankfully the Lord gave the great idea of picture texts and Skype to a couple of geniuses...so we won't miss out on too much of her growing up! We wanted to get a couple of "regular" pictures before we let her dominate her yummy Chocolate Cake....and I love how all of these with the pearls turned out. If you've been around a 1 year old for more than 15 seconds, you know that you need something to keep them entertained...and these necklaces did just. the. trick. Ava has the biggest personality, so it wasn't hard to get some really fun shots of her "playing dress-up". I'm seeing much more of this in her future!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Not only is she super fun and happy...</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L-NGWnyO_Wg/T4-Sy8NHO6I/AAAAAAAACEI/Y7yRH4zumpM/s1600/AvaBoard1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L-NGWnyO_Wg/T4-Sy8NHO6I/AAAAAAAACEI/Y7yRH4zumpM/s1600/AvaBoard1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">She's Elegant....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-teyDCqUxxZc/T4-S6fUqfxI/AAAAAAAACEg/06lOjC49pJ8/s1600/DSC_9604.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-teyDCqUxxZc/T4-S6fUqfxI/AAAAAAAACEg/06lOjC49pJ8/s1600/DSC_9604.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">She's Beautiful....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bqGIsF78hs0/T4-S9RxrJ1I/AAAAAAAACEo/Q6PjcG5zwVQ/s1600/DSC_9640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bqGIsF78hs0/T4-S9RxrJ1I/AAAAAAAACEo/Q6PjcG5zwVQ/s1600/DSC_9640.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">She's constantly on the move.....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--3K01FkbG0E/T4-S_oW_heI/AAAAAAAACEw/rf9v92zNIeY/s1600/DSC_9690.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--3K01FkbG0E/T4-S_oW_heI/AAAAAAAACEw/rf9v92zNIeY/s1600/DSC_9690.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And...She's opinionated!! Haha!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">{Del and I sat here and cracked up at these pictures, trying to think of the perfect caption. He actually thought of this one!!}</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iD4c3CesteQ/T4-TESoPPrI/AAAAAAAACFA/y3NR2FpOlus/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iD4c3CesteQ/T4-TESoPPrI/AAAAAAAACFA/y3NR2FpOlus/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Quickly! Replace Pearls with CAKE!!</div><div style="text-align: center;">....Ahhh! Much Better! ha.</div><div style="text-align: center;">She also LOVES her food! And I loved taking pictures of her loving it! :)</div><div style="text-align: center;">{If I could take Wedding Pictures and Smash Cake pictures on a weekly basis...I think I would always have a smile on my face! Even though they are completely opposite....I LOVE those two events!}</div><div style="text-align: center;">I mean REALLY!?! How fun is this?!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xJWs51alsIA/T4-S2nuEGiI/AAAAAAAACEQ/NCgbDSumvUQ/s1600/AvaBoard2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xJWs51alsIA/T4-S2nuEGiI/AAAAAAAACEQ/NCgbDSumvUQ/s1600/AvaBoard2.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Happy 1st Birthday, Sweet Ava Bell!!</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vOTQQOy8Fxo/T4-TBz2iNXI/AAAAAAAACE4/0NBNSRMgNFE/s1600/DSC_9896.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vOTQQOy8Fxo/T4-TBz2iNXI/AAAAAAAACE4/0NBNSRMgNFE/s1600/DSC_9896.jpg" /></a></div>The Slonekershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06880714595178450723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972507260720502461.post-71533845627951499612012-04-16T21:44:00.004-07:002012-04-17T08:16:37.627-07:00Meet Me Here Monday: 3 Months Old!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sLg6MrJsvnA/T4z1kO4WkvI/AAAAAAAACDw/fLF97yLg75g/s1600/DSC_2493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sLg6MrJsvnA/T4z1kO4WkvI/AAAAAAAACDw/fLF97yLg75g/s400/DSC_2493.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I know I've said it before...and I know I'll say it again....but Wow, time really has gone by fast! I can't believe that it's been THREE months since we first met our little boy. And little he was...but he's not so little any more! It feels like he's getting heavier by the day...but I think it's more just muscle fatigue from carrying him around all the time. ha. I can remember when he was born, I would think about him eating rice cereal or baby food and it seemed so far away...but here we are, only a month away from him starting to eat something other than milk! Crazy. He is getting stronger and stronger....and smiley-er and smiley-er. His favorite time of the day seems to be bath time....when he gets to hang out with his "best friend" Mr. Whale. He smiles, kicks, and makes lots of great happy noises! We might have to move him to the tub soon because our kitchen floor gets a good cleaning almost every night during bath time. {Or maybe this is a great way for me to keep our floors clean!?! :)} We've also been doing a little more tummy time....even though he hates it! After about 3 minutes, he is done! But, he is starting to hold his head up well...so we will keep practicing! We are still enjoying each day and each moment we get to spend with him! I honestly don't think we could love him any more than we already do. And once again...these faces! They keep us giggling all day long!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wSGLyPWk84A/T4z1gb_lHRI/AAAAAAAACDg/t5hyiZAa_xg/s1600/3mofaces.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wSGLyPWk84A/T4z1gb_lHRI/AAAAAAAACDg/t5hyiZAa_xg/s1600/3mofaces.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Favorite! I love this sweet face so much!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DCRSwfgo3Bc/T4z1mfcrZEI/AAAAAAAACD4/iNaVNYyD8dU/s1600/DSC_2532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DCRSwfgo3Bc/T4z1mfcrZEI/AAAAAAAACD4/iNaVNYyD8dU/s1600/DSC_2532.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So...what have we been up to over the past month?!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Well, because I don't have any "official stats" to report, since we don't go back to the pediatrician for another month...her are some milestones that we've noticed:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Exhibit A: Bubbles</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Drool has reached a new time high at our house....and I have a feeling that it's only going to get worse. Today was the first time I noticed that the collar of his shirt was actually wet from it. I keep checking for teeth, but none so far. But he <b>has</b> found his hands...which don't really help the issue, since he ends up just smearing the slobber all over his face. Ha.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-keuNwJZD9gw/T4z1h8ncK-I/AAAAAAAACDo/JFl7jiYsvJI/s1600/DSC_2481.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-keuNwJZD9gw/T4z1h8ncK-I/AAAAAAAACDo/JFl7jiYsvJI/s1600/DSC_2481.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Exhibit B: Haircut</div><div style="text-align: center;">I gave Davis his first haircut the other day, because as you can see....it was getting a little too funky in the front! It was a little sad because these were the little hairs he was born with...but as much I want to keep tabs on every little hair that he grows and loses, I had to remind myself that only God knows the number of hairs on our head. So, I'm releasing control and trusting God to keep tabs on those sweet little hairs. :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n08Q6_U22b4/T4z1pPNK2AI/AAAAAAAACEA/CoZOMTyAgy4/s1600/haircut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n08Q6_U22b4/T4z1pPNK2AI/AAAAAAAACEA/CoZOMTyAgy4/s1600/haircut.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Exhibit C: Fake Cough</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Davis has developed quite an impressive fake cough. It's one of the funnier things he does throughout the day. It seems to really make it's appearance on the changing table...and I was able to catch it on video the other day...but it won't upload to blogger. Oh well. It's a possibility that he is just imitating us...but I'm not 100% sure if he's technically at that stage yet. But it sure is funny!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Exhibit D: Stronger Neck</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I noticed a few weeks ago that when Davis was laying on his back it looked like he was trying to pull his head up and do {what kind of looked like} a crunch. So, I pulled on his arms to bring him to a sitting up position and his head didn't drag behind him! His little neck is getting a lot stronger and he loves to sit up and look around. He definitely doesn't have complete head control yet...but we are getting closer!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxGf0YPcTxFD2kEPOf5msgGitVqoa5-U7TMh10IMOgt2u3aQZ-iM6fbqzF3iwD-2C0wWmQ8C5hMiIzXrKnX_g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Look how much our little guy has grown! *Tear!*</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">{...And look who, after 3 months, finally remembered how to use her camera again! ha. Sorry for the yucky dingy pictures in the first few frames! Let's blame it on "pregnancy brain"....or sleep deprivation!}</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lsq1pHpzugg/T4z1cbiegjI/AAAAAAAACDY/rj-GZRamloo/s1600/0-3mo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lsq1pHpzugg/T4z1cbiegjI/AAAAAAAACDY/rj-GZRamloo/s1600/0-3mo.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">He's growing and we are seeing more and more of his personality every day! We love it!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Happy 3 Months, Sweet Davis Cole!!</div><div style="text-align: center;">I hope your week is off to a great start! Happy Monday!</div>The Slonekershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06880714595178450723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972507260720502461.post-2236923397493722492012-04-09T20:57:00.003-07:002012-04-10T21:55:10.609-07:00Meet Me Here Monday: Davis' First Easter<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZDpeuC67Ovo/T4UBv5cdlkI/AAAAAAAACC0/EyXLFIPRc4M/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZDpeuC67Ovo/T4UBv5cdlkI/AAAAAAAACC0/EyXLFIPRc4M/s400/Untitled-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> To say I "got into Easter" this year would be a complete understatement. Let's just say...I went a little nuts-O. I mean, as a Christian, if there is <i>really</i> a holiday to celebrate...shouldn't THIS be it? Jesus conquered DEATH and now offers us life because of it! HELLO!! Now THAT, my friend, is something to celebrate!! Davis and I started out the weekend by meeting up with Susan and Ava, so we could get pictures with the Easter Bunny. But as it turns out, the Easter Bunny is trying to rob the American Public, one picture at a time, so we got economical on it and put both the kids in the same picture and then split the lowest "picture package" that was offered! BOOM!! Ava was a little hesitant of the gigantic yellow bunny {and of course, Davis couldn't have cared less} so we got in the picture with them! My thought is...if they DO end up together {fingers crossed} then this will make a wonderful picture for the Rehearsal Dinner Slide Show! haha. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VhfpO6j9aWQ/T4UBjSCCcPI/AAAAAAAACCU/-vnrwspJlrw/s1600/IMG_1464.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VhfpO6j9aWQ/T4UBjSCCcPI/AAAAAAAACCU/-vnrwspJlrw/s1600/IMG_1464.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Then later that evening, we attended a very special Good Friday service at church, where we were given black sheets of paper to write our sin on, and then given a nail to nail them to the cross. It was a wonderful visual to what Jesus did for us over 2.000 years ago. But the best part was on Sunday, when we were given the opportunity to go to the cross and get white sheets of paper that had written on then "I am The Resurrection and The Life, whosoever believes in me shall have eternal life."</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"> My parents came down on Friday night because Del had to work on Saturday and I had some Bridal Portraits to take, so we weren't able to go to NWA. But Davis loved having Gma and Gpa around...so much so that he only took three 20 minute naps each day they were here! But I can't blame him...when you're getting THAT much attention, who really wants to sleep?! ha.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2BLB8ixfOxc/T4UBmhnwfWI/AAAAAAAACCc/3wwH4uOQJmU/s1600/IMG_1483.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2BLB8ixfOxc/T4UBmhnwfWI/AAAAAAAACCc/3wwH4uOQJmU/s1600/IMG_1483.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> I'll admit, one of the things I was looking forward to the most was Davis' Easter Jammies. He even had bunnies on his feet! Melt. My. Heart. Thankfully he slept well that night and was well rested to celebrate our Savior the next day!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HTJGOHmJ8Qc/T4UByqS1zrI/AAAAAAAACC8/Fwl_PvERbnk/s1600/easterjammies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HTJGOHmJ8Qc/T4UByqS1zrI/AAAAAAAACC8/Fwl_PvERbnk/s1600/easterjammies.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We were sad that we couldn't celebrate Easter with Davis' cousins {Will and Aubrey Jane, who live in NC}...but when our family is so spread out across the country, it makes me so thankful for technology and picture texts!! How sweet is AJ's matching pink bunny hat?! Davis and AJ are only 3 months apart, and they get to meet for the first time next month! I can hardly wait!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SX4mrEegA9A/T4UBgRvJ5SI/AAAAAAAACCM/FlviIoynUv8/s1600/IMG_1451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SX4mrEegA9A/T4UBgRvJ5SI/AAAAAAAACCM/FlviIoynUv8/s1600/IMG_1451.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">On Sunday, we woke up and <strike>rushed around</strike> got ready for church, where we had the most wonderful service of celebration! It made me so thankful for the work that was done on the cross and the power behind the resurrection. Our pastor shared this quote from John MacArthur that I haven't been able to get out of my head, "God treated Jesus as if He had lived our life, so that He could treat us as if we had lived His life." Amen.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XFB_qAu-h2U/T4UBdYYi4GI/AAAAAAAACCE/xDRicApsGgE/s1600/DSC_2460.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XFB_qAu-h2U/T4UBdYYi4GI/AAAAAAAACCE/xDRicApsGgE/s1600/DSC_2460.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The rest of our day was spent cooking, relaxing, and playing with Davis since he <i>wasn't</i> napping. Ha. We probably wore this kid out with pictures...but he just looked so cute in his little Easter outfit!<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BwO62WaZ1hE/T4UB2nfxxYI/AAAAAAAACDE/n1WwO3Z0euA/s1600/easterwithdavis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BwO62WaZ1hE/T4UB2nfxxYI/AAAAAAAACDE/n1WwO3Z0euA/s1600/easterwithdavis.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After much picture taking, Del and my dad introduced him to The Masters. I'm definitely seeing some time on the course with this kiddo in the next couple of years....especially because Mr. Bill and Mrs. Julie just sent him his first putter and Ping outfit the other day, and he seemed pretty happy about it!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-35NGWPM1JzA/T4UBp5qEK0I/AAAAAAAACCk/c-qkEgxS1h4/s1600/IMG_1494.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-35NGWPM1JzA/T4UBp5qEK0I/AAAAAAAACCk/c-qkEgxS1h4/s1600/IMG_1494.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6R3QzXtWk8/T4UNBa0TbKI/AAAAAAAACDM/3zznG8xSxJU/s1600/IMG_1339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6R3QzXtWk8/T4UNBa0TbKI/AAAAAAAACDM/3zznG8xSxJU/s640/IMG_1339.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Haleigh came over for lunch, but by the time we got done eating, Davis had just about reached the end of his rope! haha. Can we say, "time for bed"?!? :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kyqa6WcDfW4/T4UBtHykoSI/AAAAAAAACCs/2nDOp6L11X4/s1600/IMG_1496.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kyqa6WcDfW4/T4UBtHykoSI/AAAAAAAACCs/2nDOp6L11X4/s1600/IMG_1496.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">All in all, it was a wonderful weekend, and I wouldn't have changed a single minute of it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I hope you had a wonderful day of celebration as well!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e4sO3FIqXkE/T4UBattpugI/AAAAAAAACB8/GfGoBUaVRzo/s1600/DSC_2411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e4sO3FIqXkE/T4UBattpugI/AAAAAAAACB8/GfGoBUaVRzo/s1600/DSC_2411.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He is Risen! He is Risen, indeed!</div>The Slonekershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06880714595178450723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972507260720502461.post-16341298829871413422012-04-02T13:41:00.000-07:002012-04-03T15:14:22.168-07:00Meet Me Here Monday: Physicians Discipleship Conference 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mz6u3w27jrM/T3tmBN1HwXI/AAAAAAAACB0/4IF00N8rkHY/s1600/IMG_0974.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mz6u3w27jrM/T3tmBN1HwXI/AAAAAAAACB0/4IF00N8rkHY/s400/IMG_0974.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At the end of February, we packed up our small little family and headed west, to the beautiful state of Colorado for a Physicians Discipleship Conference. We had been hearing about this conference for the last 3 years, but haven't been able to swing it until this point because of Del's school schedule. I wish we would have made it a priority to go before this year, but God knew what He was doing and it honestly couldn't have come at a better time. We were a little nervous that we wouldn't be able to go because we didn't want to take Davis on an airplane before he was 6 weeks, but because he was 2 weeks early, he was exactly 6 weeks when we left. I'll be honest, I agonized over what I was going to wear because I knew I was, A: already sweating bullets at just the <i>thought</i> of him screaming on the plane and B: I was already sweating bullets at just the thought of possibly having to nurse him on the plane! So...I wore all black. Ha. I'm sure people thought I was in mourning or something. But everything worked out really well, and Davis did awesome on his first plane ride! Our friends, Chris and Susan went with us, so it was extra awesome to have an extra set of hands...especially hands that love Davis already!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The conference was being held at Glen Eyrie Castle, and when we arrived a huge storm was coming in...and I have honestly never experienced wind that strong before. But it was worth enduring because the next morning we woke up to a beautiful snow covered landscape!<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ass_TKELpbw/T3ti6Dn5osI/AAAAAAAACAE/9ogkYOA7kEY/s1600/IMG_0985.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ass_TKELpbw/T3ti6Dn5osI/AAAAAAAACAE/9ogkYOA7kEY/s1600/IMG_0985.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Being at Glen Eyrie is a little bit like being in Narnia. It's not every day that you get to have your quiet time by gigantic fire places that are being guarded by old armor....and where big horn sheep are frolicking through the meadow. I seriously could live there! :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xDGvDimIk8I/T3tjK7DHK8I/AAAAAAAACA0/2q-z79P1bWk/s1600/IMG_1708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xDGvDimIk8I/T3tjK7DHK8I/AAAAAAAACA0/2q-z79P1bWk/s1600/IMG_1708.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BkQwEr7l9So/T3tjRRtrN_I/AAAAAAAACBE/Cm11xC88imY/s1600/IMG_1725.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BkQwEr7l9So/T3tjRRtrN_I/AAAAAAAACBE/Cm11xC88imY/s1600/IMG_1725.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We learned so much about how to minister as a couple, what it looked like to be a true Christian Physician, and more than anything... how important it was to stay connected to the Word and to other Believers during this whole process. There were probably 30 couples there...but what impressed us the most was that these couples were REALLY living the Christian life, and truly making an impact for the Kingdom of God. They weren't doctors who happen to be Christians, they were Christian {first} who happen to be doctors. Wisdom and Humility oozed out of these couples, and it was an honor just be around them.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3t6YhG7R7uo/T3tjNgECp2I/AAAAAAAACA8/oPaT9XAesYw/s1600/IMG_1709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3t6YhG7R7uo/T3tjNgECp2I/AAAAAAAACA8/oPaT9XAesYw/s1600/IMG_1709.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My time there looked a little different since I was taking care of Davis...but overall he did really well. I think he enjoyed sleeping in his own hotel bed {ha} but I think the altitude really did upset him stomach for a few days. We were worried that he was starting to show the signs of colic, because it every night, right as our nightly worship gathering would start...he would start screaming! The first night, he screamed for 2 hours straight. I was in a back room by myself trying to get him to calm down...but nothing was working. At that moment I was trying to figure out a way for me to get back to Arkansas....ASAP. But after he threw up all over me, he calmed down and slept the rest of the night. ha.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rTzRBMT8z3E/T3ti2SN2hgI/AAAAAAAAB_8/zOBbp2vOtk8/s1600/IMG_0976.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rTzRBMT8z3E/T3ti2SN2hgI/AAAAAAAAB_8/zOBbp2vOtk8/s1600/IMG_0976.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It was so fun spending 4 whole days with Susan! I am really going to miss her once we move. {Her husband and Del are in the same med school class.} But it was really neat because there were so many people there from San Antonio, that they were able to make great contacts and I know they are going to be well taken care of once they move to the great state of Texas!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i35J1JAQxzw/T3ti87VapQI/AAAAAAAACAM/MAn3e08n8Mc/s1600/IMG_1008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i35J1JAQxzw/T3ti87VapQI/AAAAAAAACAM/MAn3e08n8Mc/s1600/IMG_1008.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There was one other ENT physician there and he and his wife really took us under their wing. I just love it that when things get hard, we now have people to contact that have walked this road before us and are still remaining strong in the Lord.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7ON3nTzwMB0/T3tjazsexDI/AAAAAAAACBc/zF4aAdqr0Nk/s1600/IMG_1746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7ON3nTzwMB0/T3tjazsexDI/AAAAAAAACBc/zF4aAdqr0Nk/s1600/IMG_1746.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There were four med school couples there, so it was fun sharing stories and building deeper friendships with them as well. And how fun is it that Katherine {far left} and I were Pi Phis together?! Small world.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sJBGQ_OTXvw/T3tjUYgX5uI/AAAAAAAACBM/rZCXYeu3NDk/s1600/IMG_1730.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sJBGQ_OTXvw/T3tjUYgX5uI/AAAAAAAACBM/rZCXYeu3NDk/s1600/IMG_1730.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pfM6qJfEe_w/T3tjXtByrjI/AAAAAAAACBU/X5N8UZcLV_M/s1600/IMG_1732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pfM6qJfEe_w/T3tjXtByrjI/AAAAAAAACBU/X5N8UZcLV_M/s1600/IMG_1732.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> The conference was amazing....but our trip wasn't done yet!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-99lwAgOh-AQ/T3tjeqvh5DI/AAAAAAAACBk/CZbUj_dDJG0/s1600/IMG_1756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-99lwAgOh-AQ/T3tjeqvh5DI/AAAAAAAACBk/CZbUj_dDJG0/s1600/IMG_1756.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Chris and Susan, and Del and I {and Davis} headed to Denver where they would fly back to LR the next day, but we would fly up to Tacoma to start looking for houses! While in Denver we stopped off at REI...which is pretty much Del's love language. Outdoor Gear. Enough Said.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A_Na-saSc6s/T3ti_q5NpFI/AAAAAAAACAU/GB2d9pP0iXc/s1600/IMG_1010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A_Na-saSc6s/T3ti_q5NpFI/AAAAAAAACAU/GB2d9pP0iXc/s1600/IMG_1010.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Our first glimpse of our future home! Hello Mt. Rainier.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xAMaE8_bWog/T3tjCB-K0RI/AAAAAAAACAc/pvY8X0tLquk/s1600/IMG_1021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xAMaE8_bWog/T3tjCB-K0RI/AAAAAAAACAc/pvY8X0tLquk/s1600/IMG_1021.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0t8T7hdvcdE/T3tjEEUauHI/AAAAAAAACAk/YupNxPKtgFU/s1600/IMG_1023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0t8T7hdvcdE/T3tjEEUauHI/AAAAAAAACAk/YupNxPKtgFU/s1600/IMG_1023.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Davis was a super trooper on this leg of the trip as well. He definitely screamed for about 25% of the flight to Tacoma...and once again...I should have worn black. Ha. He pretty much lived in his car seat or the Baby Bjorn for the 2 days we were up there....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OZaHVKHy32A/T3tgr56TUuI/AAAAAAAAB_s/qEd3oGQytao/s1600/Tacoma1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OZaHVKHy32A/T3tgr56TUuI/AAAAAAAAB_s/qEd3oGQytao/s1600/Tacoma1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">...but he didn't seem to mind! He was just starting to figure out how to smile at that point...so we loved watching for his little smirks.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nrGr1SdPqtI/T3tjHTuzUiI/AAAAAAAACAs/4kSGTQSfOHs/s1600/IMG_1027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nrGr1SdPqtI/T3tjHTuzUiI/AAAAAAAACAs/4kSGTQSfOHs/s1600/IMG_1027.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">By the end of the trip we were READY to be home and not living out of a suitcase anymore! We didn't find a house while we were up there... but we DID sell our house while we were there...and since then we have placed an offer on one we found online! Isn't technology great!?!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After driving around Tacoma as a family, we are getting really excited about this next phase of our lives! Please continue to pray with us about our move and that God would begin to orchestrate Godly friendships for us to have while we are there. He did it for us when we moved to LR, so we have no doubt that He will do it again in Washington!</div>The Slonekershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06880714595178450723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972507260720502461.post-42269654854733057372012-03-21T21:33:00.000-07:002012-03-21T21:33:36.864-07:00It Doesn't Take Much....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is Exhibit A, that it doesn't take much to entertain parents!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Yep, we have officially become "those people" that record or take pictures of pretty much everything Davis does! ha. He was laying there today and he kept raising his eyebrows as he was looking around and it was cracking us up...so {naturally} we recorded it! Enjoy!! :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwg7Le_f0C7WCx0ndwC26G3pPE6ytN4h6XmgRZialN3Joh2j55rd9L_ZKZy6-7lB1xJXo5aiKLrbB8T0XvdYw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>The Slonekershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06880714595178450723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972507260720502461.post-32302258791719629662012-03-21T21:07:00.002-07:002012-03-21T21:09:56.637-07:00Meet Me Here Monday: Match Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Last Friday was Match Day for UAMS and it was one of the neatest days I've experienced in life thus far! Even though we already knew where we were going, because the ARMY does their match earlier, we were still excited to see where all of Del's friends would be going and what area of medicine they would be going into! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_dE0G4uZyAg/T2qlvbE_gsI/AAAAAAAAB_k/zBl4qBg5Vt4/s1600/IMG_1164.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_dE0G4uZyAg/T2qlvbE_gsI/AAAAAAAAB_k/zBl4qBg5Vt4/s640/IMG_1164.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">The way the ceremony happened...each Med Student was called up on stage, given their envelope that enclosed their name, area of medicine they matched in, and where they matched...and then they had the opportunity to read it in front of everyone! The only thing I could compare it to would be Bid Day for RUSH....except it was a million times better! Del was one of the first to be called up on stage and even though we already knew what was inside the envelope my heart was racing so fast I almost missed the shot!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>"Del Sloneker; Otolaryngology {ENT}; Madigan Army Hospital, Tacoma Washington!!"</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gPMNDWKhjZ8/T2qd4KbRmqI/AAAAAAAAB-0/_-notbFc3Ac/s1600/DSC_1376a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="481" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gPMNDWKhjZ8/T2qd4KbRmqI/AAAAAAAAB-0/_-notbFc3Ac/s640/DSC_1376a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">As each of the students read what was in their envelopes, there was a lot of smiling, screaming, jumping, and crying. I don't think I realized the magnitude of this day until it actually happened, and after each one was read you could just feel the sigh of relief of knowing that all their hard work had paid off.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-er727zxXb2k/T2qSn92bnqI/AAAAAAAAB-s/le-vAXUoqyI/s1600/MatchDayBlogBoard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-er727zxXb2k/T2qSn92bnqI/AAAAAAAAB-s/le-vAXUoqyI/s640/MatchDayBlogBoard.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> This family of Three is ready to head West!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3tUP9HjkXHE/T2qd7a6Ta1I/AAAAAAAAB-8/fiA4AIeH8t4/s1600/DSC_1414.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3tUP9HjkXHE/T2qd7a6Ta1I/AAAAAAAAB-8/fiA4AIeH8t4/s640/DSC_1414.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Del's good friend, Chris Merrick is headed to Duke...which couldn't be further from Tacoma! ha. But we couldn't be any more excited for he and his wife, Jill. We will miss them dearly.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CbALcTehIpc/T2qd94N3r0I/AAAAAAAAB_E/zciUuQ_4IhQ/s1600/DSC_1418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CbALcTehIpc/T2qd94N3r0I/AAAAAAAAB_E/zciUuQ_4IhQ/s640/DSC_1418.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Once the ceremony ended, we went to lunch with a group of friends and then headed out on a little hike. It was Davis' first hike and our poor little buddy got so hot in the Ergo Carrier that Del just had to carry him for the last part of the hike. But once he cooled off I think he really enjoyed himself!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LXAPuZJMISs/T2qeLtYjpuI/AAAAAAAAB_c/M1-L6GHGbzc/s1600/IMG_1182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LXAPuZJMISs/T2qeLtYjpuI/AAAAAAAAB_c/M1-L6GHGbzc/s640/IMG_1182.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Then we all got cleaned up and went to the Match Day Dinner. It was at an old abandoned theater downtown and the food was phenomenal! Davis slept through the whole dinner, but as the night progressed we decided that Davis and I should head home so that he could get to bed at a decent time...which I don't think he minded too much since that meant he got to spend time with his best buddy, Mr. Whale Tub! This kid LOVES bath time!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oYtu6JqF1o8/T2qeF8xqXYI/AAAAAAAAB_U/610yyZLGEGY/s1600/IMG_1175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oYtu6JqF1o8/T2qeF8xqXYI/AAAAAAAAB_U/610yyZLGEGY/s640/IMG_1175.jpg" width="454" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Congrats to everyone that matched this year!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It's been exciting to see you all work so hard over these past 4 years and to now see all of your hard work pay off! May God use you and the talents He has given you in your specific areas of medicine, and may those that you work with and the patients you are given be blessed because of your interaction with them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>"In the same way, let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven."</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">-Matthew 5:16</div>The Slonekershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06880714595178450723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972507260720502461.post-91692523052780523462012-03-15T21:50:00.003-07:002012-03-15T21:52:51.703-07:00Davis is 2 Months!<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yQZcOOimgNU/T2F9JJKedmI/AAAAAAAAB9U/ceudxsencS4/s1600/DSC_1211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yQZcOOimgNU/T2F9JJKedmI/AAAAAAAAB9U/ceudxsencS4/s400/DSC_1211.jpg" width="400" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">I wish someone would have emailed me after my last post to tell me that I was crazy for thinking that I would have time to write a huge blog post after taking Davis to the doctor, getting shots, and then tending to his "tired/fussier than normal" needs. Those shots are for real....and from the look on Davis' face when they administered them....they are REALLY painful too. Poor thing. But this momma did ok. I'd give myself a B- on the whole 2mo appointment experience. And the only reason for the less than perfect grade is because I felt like my brain was going to explode when the pediatrician started talking super fast about all of the things to expect from him in the next few months, how to introduce rice cereal, and all of the other "to-dos" and "don't dos" that go along with child rearing....all the while Davis is screaming from being hungry and then having one of the biggest explosive diapers TO. DATE. I feel like calling up there and making an appointment for myself just so I can get a recap on all that was said because I'm pretty sure I only digested about .8% of the information. :) But at least I can look back on the experience with a smile, and just chalk it up as a Memorable Mom Moment! Ha.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
The good news is: our boy is healthy and growing! He is now 11lb 15oz {50%}, 24in long {80%}, and has a 15in head circumference {10%} ha!! I had no idea his head was so small! But we aren't worried about it! We still think he's perfect.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">One of the newest and greatest developments that have happened recently is his smile. It takes on many different forms, but we will take any form or fashion he will give us!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is his Sweet Dimple Smile:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fg1UqBdjw6k/T2F9Erj-K2I/AAAAAAAAB9E/HHrPX4vYchs/s1600/DSC_1135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fg1UqBdjw6k/T2F9Erj-K2I/AAAAAAAAB9E/HHrPX4vYchs/s1600/DSC_1135.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We've also tried giving him a pacifier...but in his mind it doesn't hold a flame to his bottom lip. He.LOVES.his.bottom.lip! He prefers it to a pacifier, and honestly is one of the ways we know he is about to fall asleep. He will lay there and fight sleep, but as soon as he sucks that bad boy in, he's a goner!</div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i2ywl_FSzfI/T2F9GliW9NI/AAAAAAAAB9M/zi_FtmK-DKA/s1600/DSC_1164.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i2ywl_FSzfI/T2F9GliW9NI/AAAAAAAAB9M/zi_FtmK-DKA/s1600/DSC_1164.jpg" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"> But there is also his Stretchy Face. It's one of my personal faves. Every time he stretches, he puts both arms up over his head and makes this face. I think it cracks me up because it seems like such a "mature" action for someone so little. I hope he keeps this up for years to come!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wO-FLHvbKeQ/T2F9CUs-nCI/AAAAAAAAB88/8oV_HyKMXDk/s1600/DSC_1129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wO-FLHvbKeQ/T2F9CUs-nCI/AAAAAAAAB88/8oV_HyKMXDk/s1600/DSC_1129.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> And now, I have a Quick Confession:</div><div style="text-align: center;">I am obsessed with making collages of Davis' fun faces!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RFWRYfOCqeg/T2F8__jeuYI/AAAAAAAAB80/b84WFVm_aVo/s1600/2mo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RFWRYfOCqeg/T2F8__jeuYI/AAAAAAAAB80/b84WFVm_aVo/s1600/2mo.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">But this one deserves a slot of it's own.<br />
Stoic Davis</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q8E2KNUKHfc/T2F9LZXogOI/AAAAAAAAB9c/OqgUQjTFAMw/s1600/DSC_1321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q8E2KNUKHfc/T2F9LZXogOI/AAAAAAAAB9c/OqgUQjTFAMw/s1600/DSC_1321.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Happy Two Months, Sweet Baby Davis.<br />
We love you and can't wait to see what new things you learn over this next month!<br />
Love, Your Mom and Dad</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cUdoQ9z3Id4/T2F9NiMbn-I/AAAAAAAAB9k/7scfsOiDG5o/s1600/DSC_1324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cUdoQ9z3Id4/T2F9NiMbn-I/AAAAAAAAB9k/7scfsOiDG5o/s1600/DSC_1324.jpg" /></a></div>The Slonekershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06880714595178450723noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972507260720502461.post-11650902431050694442012-03-12T14:56:00.000-07:002012-03-12T14:56:30.362-07:00Meet Me Here Monday: Missed Appointment<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7QjwJg5s_BE/T15uem3ywLI/AAAAAAAAB8k/-30IU49gfqI/s1600/DSC_1193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7QjwJg5s_BE/T15uem3ywLI/AAAAAAAAB8k/-30IU49gfqI/s400/DSC_1193.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I had these wonderful intentions to do Davis' 2 Month Blog Post today after his appointment, so that I would have all of his current measurements, weight, and other "stats". But we never made it to our appointment. Ha. I had all our stuff together, Davis was in the car seat {fed and happy}, and we were walking out the door when I realized that our keys were locked inside the car. Awesome. Strike One. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Then when I called to reschedule our appointment, I looked at my calendar and realized that I had TOTALLY missed the appointment all together! I had thought it was at 9:15...but that was actually MY doctors appointment LAST MONDAY! Ugh. His appointment was at 8:50! Strike Two. Maybe it's for the best because I don't know if my heart was ready for all the crying that was about to take place because of the shots. He has just recently started crying real tears...and it breaks my heart. Good thing he's not maliciously manipulative yet, because he has me right where he wants me with those tears. I should probably start praying for tougher skin as he gets older! ha.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z6ANsNKYW38/T15ucyQRzwI/AAAAAAAAB8c/unsccR0tjj4/s1600/DSC_1181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z6ANsNKYW38/T15ucyQRzwI/AAAAAAAAB8c/unsccR0tjj4/s1600/DSC_1181.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">So until Wednesday, I leave you with these few little pictures I took before we took his "official" Two Month Pictures! Isn't that just the sweetest dimple you've ever seen?!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZbjQq4OoEz8/T15ug_22A-I/AAAAAAAAB8s/OPteDDjL6d0/s1600/DSC_1197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZbjQq4OoEz8/T15ug_22A-I/AAAAAAAAB8s/OPteDDjL6d0/s1600/DSC_1197.jpg" /></a></div>The Slonekershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06880714595178450723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972507260720502461.post-27211989064510007222012-03-10T20:55:00.003-08:002012-03-10T21:37:14.673-08:00Brad & Trinka are MARRIED!!<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hU4dNk5AMRQ/T1wzk9-ToUI/AAAAAAAAB8U/u6cnP8bvbJ0/s1600/photo.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hU4dNk5AMRQ/T1wzk9-ToUI/AAAAAAAAB8U/u6cnP8bvbJ0/s640/photo.PNG" width="424" /></a>After many tears and LOTS and LOTS of prayers....today ended up being the most wonderful day for a beautiful Outdoor Southern Wedding. For the past 2 weeks {at least} there has been over a 60% chance of rain....so when the forecast changed to "sunshine" and 0% chance of rain, it made our sweet friend Trinka one very happy bride!! Honestly, you couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day in early March...so I left the little guy with Del and my dad and I headed downtown to celebrate with Trinka and Brad. I met Trinka last year when God brought her into my BSF Group. Amazingly enough, God also brought Kari into our group as well...who just "happen" to have a single brother. As time went on, Kari kept talking to Trinka about her amazing brother, Brad....so when he got back from his time overseas they met...and now, the rest is history. It was so fun to attend a wedding as just one of the guests...but I will say that it made me super excited about this upcoming wedding season! It took everything in me to not take pictures of every single detail that Trinka sewed, glued, handpicked, and crafted for their Big Day....because there truly was not a single detail left undone. I could just see the wedding album unfolding before my eyes! But I refrained and just snapped some pictures from my seat! And as you'll see...the day was perfectly southern and perfectly Brad and Trinka.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L4JbFhbGd7c/T1wwjPZ1OEI/AAAAAAAAB7k/i04-uo1uNG0/s1600/DSC_1238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L4JbFhbGd7c/T1wwjPZ1OEI/AAAAAAAAB7k/i04-uo1uNG0/s1600/DSC_1238.jpg" /></a></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L4JbFhbGd7c/T1wwjPZ1OEI/AAAAAAAAB7k/i04-uo1uNG0/s1600/DSC_1238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Truly, here she came in all her Beautiful Bride Glory!! What a sweet entrance.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-werH7gGNFTE/T1wwl8wo-5I/AAAAAAAAB7s/0MLZb1XlPLw/s1600/DSC_1258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-werH7gGNFTE/T1wwl8wo-5I/AAAAAAAAB7s/0MLZb1XlPLw/s1600/DSC_1258.jpg" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And after a wonderful ceremony....</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">...there was a sweet kiss...and a sweet embrace.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xNltM9k2NZY/T1wwwWDq4qI/AAAAAAAAB8M/eh5CdJv1usM/s1600/TANDB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xNltM9k2NZY/T1wwwWDq4qI/AAAAAAAAB8M/eh5CdJv1usM/s1600/TANDB.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Introducing the new Mr. and Mrs. Kremers!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uqLtL103C0w/T1wwrsgUUGI/AAAAAAAAB78/XURStxB_4TE/s1600/DSC_1281.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uqLtL103C0w/T1wwrsgUUGI/AAAAAAAAB78/XURStxB_4TE/s1600/DSC_1281.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I love everything about this picture! Especially all the bridesmaids!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bexckc8Qths/T1wwosBfOHI/AAAAAAAAB70/DJW2KZ1YZek/s1600/DSC_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bexckc8Qths/T1wwosBfOHI/AAAAAAAAB70/DJW2KZ1YZek/s1600/DSC_1280.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZQJPS8QrptM/T1wwueosRzI/AAAAAAAAB8E/gtNw2kwHGYg/s1600/DSC_1297.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZQJPS8QrptM/T1wwueosRzI/AAAAAAAAB8E/gtNw2kwHGYg/s1600/DSC_1297.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Thank you, Jesus for bringing these sweet friends into my life through Bible Study. They have helped make our time in LR so special.</div>The Slonekershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06880714595178450723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972507260720502461.post-13692416029780938212012-03-06T14:46:00.001-08:002012-03-06T14:46:37.395-08:0010 Years and Counting....<div style="text-align: center;"> On February 4th, Del and I celebrated our 10 year Dating Anniversary!<br />
On our first date, on February 4th 2002, we went to the thrift store with $5 each to pick out an outfit for each other....and whatever we picked out we had to wear to the mall where we had lunch.<br />
...And this was the result! haha. {Can we say "Freshman 15?!!}<br />
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<br />
<center><a href="http://s603.photobucket.com/albums/tt116/cjsloneker/?action=view&current=1stdate.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i603.photobucket.com/albums/tt116/cjsloneker/1stdate.jpg" /></a></center><center>Now, with 10 years of "togetherness" under our belt...I felt like we should celebrate in the same way it all began! So we packed up the car and headed to the local Thrift Store....and this was the result. Ha.</center><center> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SEW9e4nYUu0/T1aHmJoSVaI/AAAAAAAAB68/ygFFdcjOHwA/s1600/DSC_0794-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SEW9e4nYUu0/T1aHmJoSVaI/AAAAAAAAB68/ygFFdcjOHwA/s1600/DSC_0794-web.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It's amazing how much has happened in the last 10 years...but the one of things that has remained the same is...Del is still in school! ha. Sometimes it feels like this training will never end...but at least we are on the tail end of this phase of it! :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We didn't go to the food court for lunch this year...but we did discuss how funny this will be when Davis gets older and we drag him along for our 20 year dating anniversary! Poor kid, this is only the beginning! :)</div></center></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span id="goog_1581481770"></span><span id="goog_1581481771"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mHrg0Ewvg9o/T1aHoWmmVUI/AAAAAAAAB7E/A1kStuwPytk/s1600/DSC_0801-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mHrg0Ewvg9o/T1aHoWmmVUI/AAAAAAAAB7E/A1kStuwPytk/s1600/DSC_0801-web.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I wish we had done this each year up to this point....but it's never too late to start!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">May you never stop dating your mate!!</div>The Slonekershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06880714595178450723noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972507260720502461.post-42491251521065316832012-02-20T14:51:00.005-08:002012-03-06T14:59:28.603-08:00Meet Me Here Monday: 2 New Cousins!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Davis is happy to announce that he got TWO new cousins today!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WGEQNY5y_mE/T1aVDkqoxlI/AAAAAAAAB7M/BX0aklYPlFg/s1600/DSC_0960-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WGEQNY5y_mE/T1aVDkqoxlI/AAAAAAAAB7M/BX0aklYPlFg/s1600/DSC_0960-web.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> First was Baby Cole Houston Leslie....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9xEbgpOUHfU/T1aVOxwIF7I/AAAAAAAAB7U/NHq8ILunbx8/s1600/photo-1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9xEbgpOUHfU/T1aVOxwIF7I/AAAAAAAAB7U/NHq8ILunbx8/s640/photo-1.PNG" width="426" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Next was Baby Logan Theodore Scdoris!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ae9LwxliCTo/T1aVTRwqusI/AAAAAAAAB7c/AXsuxRTn8pE/s1600/photo.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ae9LwxliCTo/T1aVTRwqusI/AAAAAAAAB7c/AXsuxRTn8pE/s640/photo.PNG" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We are so excited for all of these boys to grow up "together"!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I just love the thought that Davis will have friend cousins around the same age on both sides of the family.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Let the fun begin!</div>The Slonekershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06880714595178450723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972507260720502461.post-91519369091808907982012-02-15T20:35:00.000-08:002012-02-15T20:35:47.385-08:00So...I forgot it was Valentine's Day!<div style="text-align: center;">I woke up yesterday morning thinking that it was just a regular day...until I logged onto Facebook when I quickly realized that I had completely missed the boat on the fact that it was the "national day of love"!!<br />
<br />
Del and I never do much for Valentine's Day, because usually by this time of the year {after birthdays and the holidays} we are out of money. So typically we just doing something small...or Del gets me something like....an autographed picture of Fabio. True Story. He was at Sam's Club a few years ago...and Del thought that a signed pic of that 'Hunk of Meat' would be the key to my heart! He's learned a lot since those early dating days! ha.<br />
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But as far as this year goes...Del had stayed up until 3am the "night" before, painting our living room {in preparation to get our house ready to sell}...so needless to say, I could tell from his "heavy breathing/unconscious state" that he wasn't planning on waking up early to make me a homemade breakfast with fresh rose petals sprinkled over my eggs. So, when when I woke up around 7:30 to feed Davis...and finally realized what day it was...my mind immediately went into planning mode. I had some really fun plans for Valentine's Day...however I thought I had <i>at least</i> another week to get everything ready! ha. :)<br />
Once Davis was fed and happy, I got him dressed and packed him up quietly to head to Hobby Lobby and Target to gather up my supplies...without waking up my #1 Valentine.<br />
<br />
All of the ideas I had of course came from <a href="http://pinterest.com/chelseasloneker/">Pinterest</a>, and like always...they were a hit! What did we do before this magnificent site?!<br />
My first little project was creating my own version of <a href="http://thestewartestate.blogspot.com/2011/12/love-message-board-tutorial.html">this frame</a>.<br />
I'm excited to see how this can be used as a constant reminder to let each other know the <i>current</i> reasons we love one another.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WgABBPonKI4/Tzx96z-aZII/AAAAAAAAB6k/0jV__AJSqHw/s1600/LoveFrame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="393" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WgABBPonKI4/Tzx96z-aZII/AAAAAAAAB6k/0jV__AJSqHw/s400/LoveFrame.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Then of course, what is Valentine's Day without some kind of sweets?! So I made <a href="http://iheart2stamp.com/2010/06/">these cupcakes</a>....at 9:30 in the morning! Yumm-O!! I added my own twist and whipped up some homemade cream cheese frosting, which just made these ridiculously good. You've GOT to give these a try! And you don't need a holiday to find a reason to make them!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xQBT--mOr2Y/Tzx-EQgDSTI/AAAAAAAAB6s/UPqjR_wjAeM/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xQBT--mOr2Y/Tzx-EQgDSTI/AAAAAAAAB6s/UPqjR_wjAeM/s400/Untitled.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So, after we ran around town we stopped off at Chick-fil-A to get breakfast for our main man.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It was a great start to a wonderful day...especially when we realized that they shaped our biscuits into the shape of a heart! Chick-fil-A, you really are the best.</div>But the sweetest treat this Valentine's Day was spending it with this little dumpling!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cT4ErjS3bwI/Tzx-ZIIxnRI/AAAAAAAAB60/VHEmJ-jgM8k/s1600/ValentinesBlogBoard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cT4ErjS3bwI/Tzx-ZIIxnRI/AAAAAAAAB60/VHEmJ-jgM8k/s1600/ValentinesBlogBoard.jpg" /></a></div>We think he is getting pretty close to smiling for real...but for now, we will just enjoy all of these sweet facial expressions! And that dimple!! To. Die. For!<br />
Davis, this lady {and your daddy} loves you more than you can even imagine!<br />
Happy 1st Valentine's Day, Sweet Love.</div>The Slonekershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06880714595178450723noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972507260720502461.post-52136656529954225312012-02-10T17:29:00.000-08:002012-02-10T17:29:57.460-08:00Davis is ONE MONTH!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Happy One Month, Sweet Baby Davis!!</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ewINeAtz5qA/TzW9-ldcy_I/AAAAAAAAB6c/zepH0xqbhSI/s1600/1month-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ewINeAtz5qA/TzW9-ldcy_I/AAAAAAAAB6c/zepH0xqbhSI/s1600/1month-web.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I didn't realize how much you had grown until I looked back at your One Week Pictures! Ha!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Your facial expressions keep us laughing, and your sweet demeanor keep us falling more and more in love with you every day!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">This month has been filled with visitors, baths, walks, trips to Bible Study and restaurants....and really just hours and hours spent gazing at you! ha.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">We love you and can't wait to see what the next month brings!</div>The Slonekershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06880714595178450723noreply@blogger.com3