Our Life in the Yellow Brick House

Time is going WAY too fast. We did double duty the weekend after Ella was born because we were also celebrating Conner's THIRD birthday. It seems like yesterday we were all marveling at this boy's chunky little cheeks and now he's starting preschool! It was a construction-themed party because there's nothing this boy loves more than trucks and trains. He got all kinds of goodies, and we had fun watching him tear into his presents and play with his cousins. Before the party was over, we all sat down to watch a slideshow of the past year. I am amazed at how much he's changed. Each time we see him he gets bigger and knows all kinds of new things. That's probably because he loves to figure out how things work. You can almost see the little wheels in his head turning as he's playing. It's so much fun to watch him. Happy birthday, Conner! We are so glad to be a part of your life. Your smile and laugh could light up even the darkest of rooms. We love you to...

When Stacie and Greg announced they were pregnant last Christmas, it felt like July was so far away. Fortunately time passes pretty quickly, and before we knew it, July was here. I thought Ella would come early because Stacie had been having contractions for over month, but a few days after her due date, they decided to induce. Stacie was already in active labor when they checked into the hospital, but it was a little slow going at first. The next morning, Ella changed her mind in a hurry and in a matter of minutes, she was here. Ella Dawn Fox born at 9:30 a.m. on July 28 weighing 8lbs. 6oz. Unfortunately, we didn't get to meet her right away, but as soon as the weekend came, we headed to Rose Hill. She was so precious and reminded us a lot of Henry when he was little. She slept pretty much the whole time we were there, aside from a few feedings. That meant I got lots of cuddle time!  Such a cutie!   The boys played video games while Ella an...

I am one of those people who loved high school, and I've been looking forward to our reunion since pretty much the day after graduation. I think the reason I loved it so much was because we had a really great class. We all knew each other pretty well since there were only 56 of us and most had spent all 12 years together. We may not all have been best friends, but we had some great times together and share so many memories. High school reunions can get kind of a bad rap. Almost everyone I knew who had attended their 10-year reunion said it was a bit of a let down for one reason or another. I was determined to enjoy mine. I helped a little bit with the planning but in the end, the thing that made our reunion fun was the people. Just over half of our class was able to make it to at least part of the festivities, and we had fun reminiscing and getting to know one another's spouses and kids. I am so glad I went, and I'm looking forward to the next one! If you are one of those...

July has been packed full of surprises and new things. We had lots of random visits from nieces and nephews, which we love. And now we have one more! Greg and Stacie welcomed Ella into the world on Monday, and I'm counting down the hours until we get to meet her tomorrow. Stay tuned for pictures. In other news, Kyle got a new job! It was a very hard decision for him to make since it meant leaving behind some of the best coworkers he's had, but in the end, it was an opportunity he just couldn't pass up. So now he is the finance manager at Janzen Toyota. It's only his second day, but he is loving it so far. (Next time you loyal readers out there need a new vehicle, feel free to give him a call.) Overall I'd say this has been a pretty great month. And to top it all off, the weather in Oklahoma has been WONDERFUL. Two weeks with temps in the 70s and rain is pretty much unheard of this time of year. Kyle isn't loving all the extra mowing, but it's a small pri...