We went Camping

We made it to OHIO!  We love our new apartment and we love the area!  I will post pictures of our place later when I take them:)  Chuck had his first day today.  I was a little sad seeing him leave this morning.  It is just really really nice to have someone there with me during the day, but I can't be that spoiled:)  We have been going to the zoo a lot!!  Our friends Sarah and Ben bought us a year membership for watching their sweet little girl.  They are so nice to do that!  Let me tell you, it has been used A LOT!  We love our Zoo here.  I have never been to a zoo before that you could interact with the animals so much.  There are a lot of animals that you can pet and others you can walk into their habitat and they are just all around you.  I need some visitors so I can take you to the zoo!  We decided that before Chuck started that we would go camping.  Now, most of you know, I do like camping, but I always get sick.  Almost every year at girls camp I left throwing up!  This trip was much different:)  It was really fun!  We did have a small raccoon problem.  They literally had no fear at all.  They would think that we couldn't see them or something.  They stole Penny's bag of crackers, and I could hear them in the night getting into the charcoal.  I hope they tried to eat it and got a nasty surprise:) 

There was a resevior there so Penny and Chuck put their feet in.  Penny decided to sit in it, but that's ok:)  The next morning we made pancakes and eggs and hit the road.  I don't think that Penny got a very restful nights sleep.  She ended up puking on the way home!  I hope I didn't pass my curse on to her:(  But she was fine the rest of the day, especially after she got a nap:) 
Since Chuck has started work again he has his first overnight shift coming up.  He wanted to find a bed, that we would eventually pass on to Penny when this baby was born, to sleep in after he came home from overnight call.  He couldn't find one that was very reasonable so he decided to make one!  Talk about talent!!

Isn't it great!  He is going to do that slats like they do at Ikea.  That is what we have on our bed, instead of box springs.  It literally took him less than 4 hours to build and it only cost him less than $40!  That is great!  I feel like I have the most handy husband:)  It is also nice that our place has a basement that will be nice and cool and dark for him to sleep in.  Hopefully he can't hear me and Penny running around upstairs.  Well,  keep posted, I will post pictures of our place and our dramatic first night here in Columbus!  It is a wild story, let me tell ya!

All of the Exciting Things!

This month has been very exciting for us.  This is going to be a long post so, bear with me.  I promise it will be interesting:)  First, Chuck became a doctor!  Crazy!  During his graduation I was so emotional, I have never felt so much pride!  Chuck has worked so hard in school and now he is done, it is a very sweet moment.  Here he is walking and getting his diploma.

Chuck in his cool outfit:)  We kept teasing him that it looks like Harry Potter robes but he started to get mad, so we laid off him, haha!

Since I can't keep this a secret any longer,  we are adding another little Burtis to our family this December!  We are so excited!!!  I have been feeling a lot different from when I was pregnant with Penny.  I have only thrown up once this time around, with Penny I was throwing up multiple times a day for about 2 weeks.  I had a first trimester screen this time around.  Mostly I wanted to get one last look at the babe before we moved.  Everything looked good!  The technician was super nice and took a peak to see if we could tell if it was a boy or girl at all, and she said that she suspects that it is a girl!  Nothing set in stone yet obviously,  I am only 12 wks.  WE ARE SO EXCITED!!  So many fun things in the our little family.  I hope I don't jinx us by saying that:)

And then that brings us to now.  Today is our last night in Milwaukee.  It is a little bittersweet!  We have enjoyed Milwaukee and have great memories here.  It has been hard to say goodbye to friends.   I feel like 4 years is only enough time to get pretty close to people, then we leave:(  It is ok though.  I like change and handle it pretty well.  I like new adventures!  Columbus better be ready for us! 
Of course, it wouldn't be a post without a little Penny.  She has been so mischievous lately!  It is unreal!  She gets into the fridge and gets whatever she wants.  Sometimes I catch her eating lunch meat or trying to fill her sippy cup with milk.  Sometimes she brings me things to open for her, sometimes she doesn't....  Well we have been busy packing and I had an appointment one morning.  Chuck was left at home with Penny.  He said it became very quiet and so he went into the bathroom this is what he found.

That is her rubbing Calamine lotion all over the place!  What a messy little pest:)  At least she likes to clean herself!

Well I will be MIA for awhile.  With moving, we have to get the internet situation figured out and we have to get organized after moving.  Goodbye Milwaukee, it's been real.

The Senior Gala and self portraits

I haven't blogged with pictures for quite awhile.  I realized that there was a lot that happened in between.  First Penny got terribly sick.  Well, not terribly but me and her were both miserable.  We first got colds that turned into nasty!  We both had infections in our eyes and poor Penny could hardly open her eyes. Especially in the morning.  It wasn't pink eye.  It was a type of bacterial flu.  

Anyways after we got better came Easter!  We ended up being in Columbus, looking for housing, so I never got pictures of Penny in her cute dress.  But she did have an Easter egg hunt with her friends at playgroup!

These were the best pictures I could get.  She was much more interested playing on the little play ground.  OH WELL! haha

Then we had the Gala.  This was a semi-formal celebration for the graduating Seniors. We had some delicious food and fun dancing. I found a 'fancy' dress, and we got all dolled up.  It was a lot of fun to hang out with my cute girlfriends that I have been with for the past 4 years.  It is going to be extremely hard saying goodbye to the wonderful women! ( and husbands:) they are pretty awesome too, especially been great friends to Chuck).  It was a very fun night.  We got a babysitter for Penny, Jenny.  Who I am so grateful for!  It was truly a great night knowing that Penny was safe at home with another great friend! 

 It really is going to be so hard to say good bye to everyone!  It seems strange that these 4 years are over.  I have made some great friends that can not be replaced!

The next pictures are funny pictures of Penny.  She has gotten pretty good and taking her own picture.  It is quite funny!  These\ first pictures aren't self portraits but I thought she looked like a little punk rock girl with her skinny jeans and hat.  Then she ate a green popsicle...

Above and below are her own doing.  It is funny that she seems to be posing!

I know not very interesting to most people, but I think it is pretty good that she actually got her face!  Don't mind her booger that becomes ever present as the picture progresses.  Well that brings us up to now.  We are getting ready for graduation and company to come visit.  Then, we move!

A Scary Moment

I am writing this down merely for memory, not that I really want to remember it, but I want to remember the lesson it taught me!  Today I was super stoked to go to the mall.  I had this Old Navy coupon sitting in my purse for weeks and was dying to use it.  It was 40% off my purchase, plus I had $20 in free money from using my Gap card! I decided I would go after Penny's speech therapy today.  I pulled into the parking lot, turned off my car, and slipped my keys into my purse.  I unbuckled Penny and realized that I needed to get the stroller out of the trunk, so I put my purse (with my keys) on the floor of the car and opened the trunk to get out the stroller.  It was a windy day, but apparently that hadn't crossed my mind.  WHOOSH!  A gust of wind closed the only open door.  Now, I initially didn't think anything of it.  I usually don't lock the door till I have Penny out.  For some reason, I locked the door today.  I also don't normally put my purse on the floor of the car, and usually have it slinged around my shoulder, but again, I had it on the floor of the car, with my keys remember.  So I go to open the door, and it wouldn't budge.  I thought, "What is wrong with the door?"  And then it hit me, I just locked my child in the car!  I started to panic.  I thought that maybe Penny would understand to unlock the car.  She just thought it was a funny game, at first.  She kept pushing down on the lock but never pushed it up.  I was getting really frustrated, but Penny decided that this was time to explore the car.  Remember I had unbuckled her.  So she decided to go up to the front seat.  I had some Oreo's in the car from a trip we took, so she got one of those out.  She found some crayons and started to color on the windows, she played a little with the cd player, and also found out that the crayons were warm enough to make marks on the seats as well.  I kept yelling at her NO! NO!  and she just thought it was funny.  I looked around and didn't know what to do!  There wasn't anyone in the parking lot, I didn't know which hospital Chuck was at, I also didn't want to leave Penny alone.  I kept saying over and over Please heavenly father make Penny realize how to unlock the doors, PLEASE!!  Finally, a car!  My prayer had been answered, not in the way I thought, but answered none the less! I ran over to these 2 sweet ladies and she said I could use her phone.  Problem is I had no idea who to call.  She recommended that she go inside and get the mall security.  She came back a few minutes later with a security guy.  The man called the police and told them, a Mom locked her 2 year old in the car, I felt so ashamed and embarrassed.  He assured me that this has happened many a time.  He told me that there was a police car on it's way.  The policeman gets to us and he pulls out this long metal strip.  He kept trying to get it to hook on something but couldn't get anything.  So he called another police officer to come over with a wedge.  In the meantime, Penny had begun to realize that this wasn't funny.  She was in the car screaming and getting really crazy with the crayons on the windows.  She also was as red as a tomato and was sweating.  I started to cry because I felt so helpless and I knew that this was all my fault!  She kept putting her little hand on the window and saying MAMA!  and crying.  It broke my heart!  Finally the other police officer got to us, and put in the wedge and a minute later had the door open.  Penny gave me a really big hug and wiped her sweaty face all over me, haha!  I still can't believe that happened.  I always thought that I was really careful, but sometimes we just don't think.  I think the lesson I learned from this is I am always going to put my keys in my pocket and not to lock the doors till everything is out.  Easier said than done, but I think that this scared me enough to help me remember.  On a lighter side note, I got to use my coupon and seriously got the deal of the year. I got Penny 2 pairs of capris, 2 pairs of flip flops, 2 shirts, and a swim suit all for $12!  Can you believe that!  At least this story has a happy ending:)

Happy Birthday Penny!

On Tuesday March 20th, Penny turned 2!  I can't believe it, really I can because she definitely has the temperament of a 2 year old.  We didn't do too many exciting things during the day.  The night before I decorated the house with balloons and streamers.  I had balloons all over the floor. When Penny came out of her room the next morning all she kept saying was Oh no! Oh no!  She kept trying to clean up the balloons so I am guessing she was worried about the mess:)  That night was when the real party began.  Penny had just a few of her friends over.  We had a lot of fun and ate a lot of cupcakes!

 Mr. Tough Man Talmage!  I thought this photo was so funny because he was so serious.  Talmage is Penny's best friend;) (boyfriend)hehe

A lot of present opening was a group effort.

 Her new pet horse! Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Burtis!

 This was the hit present.  All of the kids wanted to play with it.  Eventually they put the puzzle all back together.

 Penny tried really hard to blow out her own candles.  She kept blowing but her little breath is just a little weak.  Maybe next year she will get the hang of it. 

Diggin in!  Much different from last year when she was so afraid of getting dirty.

 Penny and her gang of friends.  She was really tired by this point because she hadn't had a nap.  She didn't want to take out her binkie, but it is better than a whiny face!

My awesome decorating skills.  

All and all I think Penny had a pretty cool birthday.  She got a lot of cool presents and ate some delicious cupcakes, she got to play with her friends and even got root beer in her sippy cup.  What could be better!  I wish I had gotten more pictures of her with her presents.  Babette and Charles got her a cute cowgirl hat that I have yet to get a picture of.  But don't worry guys I will get one:)  She also loves her movie and horse!  Penny has been such a crazy but sweet little girl.  Honestly, I didn't think my patience could ever be pushed so far, but I wouldn't change it for anything.  I know that sounds cliche, but it is the truth.  My life without Penny is like a night without stars.  (I know the real saying is a face without freckles is a night without stars, but to me a night without stars regardless the situation, would be sad.)  She is our little Sun.  We revolve around her, as it should be:)  We love you Penny!  Happy Birthday!!!