Year 3, Weeks 20-22:

Hello, there! It is almost Christmas, so Merry Christmas! This week I am writing from my brand new laptop! It has been years in the making...I finally took the time to get one. Our intention was to get one after I graduated from college, but instead we kept pushing it off. So I am already excited to see how quickly this goes...hopefully it will make writing easier and allow it to happen more often!

Week 20: November 29-December 5

Monday and Tuesday were long days for me...and they were very long. I was sick with headaches for a 2-3 week stretch, but on this particular Tuesday I spiked a fever in the last hour and a half of work and it hit hard. Jonathan and Amelia visited me at work on Monday, then they had dinner with the Haas fam on Tuesday, so they were little social butterflies! I always like when they come to visit, especially on the long days when I wouldn't get to see them otherwise! Jonathan worked on the apartment both evenings. It is starting to look like a construction site in there! We are so excited to get to work and get everything moving in the direction of us living upstairs!

Wednesday I called the doctor, of course, they wouldn't see me, even though I tested negative for COVID, but at least I tried. They did call me in an antibiotic in case I had mastitis again, I appreciated them making an effort. Jonathan took the traverse in to see why my check engine light kept coming on (it was something stupid, as usual, but the light is off, so that's what matters), then he stopped at DQ on the way home to grab us a snack. I did laundry, which was about the only thing I could get accomplished, and then we packed in the evening for our weekend away. 

Thursday I had an eye doctor appointment and my eyes didn't change for the first time since I was probably 9 years old! It was quite exciting. Plus, I get new glasses, which is wonderful since I can hardly see out of mine. After work, I came home, changed and we hopped in the car to head to Wapakoneta! It had been about a year and a half since I had been out there. Jonathan's work had a grand opening at their new office building, so we went out for that. We got McDonald's on the way and had a great trip just chatting and enjoying each other's company. Dillon was kind enough to lend us his extra vehicle, so we stopped there on our way to the airBNB that we rented and picked that up so that Amelia and I could run some errands and get food and stuff while he was at work. 

Friday morning, Jonathan went to work and we slept in. It was a long trip and Amelia sleeps well in the car, but not soundly. She was very tired and so was I! We went shopping around Wapak, there are so many cute little places to go there, so that was a lot of fun, then I picked up some lunch and she took two great naps. I think I actually wrote the last blog while we were there! After I finished that, I went to lay down and take a nap. Jonathan had the ribbon cutting ceremony, then came back to get us so that we could all be there together for the dinner and the grand opening. The new building is super cool! It is in an old bank, so they have a safe and everything in there. They did a really good job with it and we really enjoyed meeting everyone and seeing where Jonathan works when he is out there! After we had our fill at the office, we did some shopping around Celina, which is just as cute as Wapakoneta. So many cool little shops with really good deals...and both towns were super festive and ready for the holidays! We stopped and grabbed some ice cream, then when we got home we didn't have a lot to do, so we invited Dillon and Evy over. We hadn't got to meet Evy, so it was nice to meet her and spend time catching up and chatting.

Saturday was our visiting day. We went to Dillon's to get him and Evy, then went to JMarie's for and early lunch and did some shopping around town. We made our first impulse house buy. I didn't go in some of the shops on Friday because they were just junk stores, of course, this doesn't deter Jonathan, so we just marched ourselves right in there on Saturday! Thankfully, we both like old stuff that no one else wants anymore. I had for sure mislabeled this store the day before because it was actually an antique store filled with all sorts of stuff! Some junk, some really neat items. One of the really neat items was an 1885 dresser with a brown marble top and a mirror. It was absolutely beautiful and when I saw it I told Jonathan it is exactly what I wanted in our room. We continued to walk around and then finally decided, why don't we just get that dresser? If it's exactly what we want, then we should just get it now. So we did! It is beautiful and I love it more every time I see it! That ended up making our afternoon a bit longer than expected, but we made it. Jonathan took us home so Amelia (and I) could nap, then he went and picked it up and got it loaded up with the guy at the shop. I woke up later than expected, but we got moving again and went to visit our friends, the Steigers. They were our dearest friends when we lived out there and we miss them a ton. Every time we get together it is as if we haven't been apart at all! They love games and good conversation, they love and care about us and we love and care about them! We are just so blessed every time we get to see them! They are adopting two little girls who are just so sweet, so it was a lot of fun to get to meet them as well. We got Jalapenos and enjoyed the evening together. 

On Sunday, we packed up, went to church, got donuts and headed out. We stopped in Ada for lunch with Emily at Subway, then proceeded home. It was a great trip, we loved every minute of it! But we were glad to be home as well. 

Week 21: December 6-12

This was my long week...which is never fun, but this time I was sick again. I felt pretty good while we were gone, but it was a fluke. We had ham, potatoes and green beans for dinner on Monday and thank goodness, because I was not up for preparing anything at all! Tuesday was a long day for me and Jonathan went out to Hillsdale for a site visit. He has had a lot of traveling this month, which has made life more interesting for him! Thankfully he has been safe and has been learning a lot in his travels.

Wednesday we went and got our Christmas tree! Usually we cut one down ourselves, but this year it just didn't happen. By the time we could go it was dark, cold and dinner time. So we just buzzed over, grabbed one and came home! We got it in and put lights, garland and the tree topper on it, then called it a night. We had french onion swiss steak, mashed potatoes and corn for dinner...Amelia loves to eat our food at dinner time, it makes it hard for us to eat because we are constantly stuffing her face with food! 

It was my long weekend and it started on Thursday. Thankfully, I was feeling better by the weekend, so that helped! We have been having high radon readings since we moved in. Jonathan has tested it twice and it was high twice, so we decided just to get it taken care of. Thursday was the day! They came and installed it in about an hour, Jonathan said. So it was a quick and easy fix! Jonathan had band, so I picked Amelia up and Mom and Dad's, then came home for the evening.

Friday was a long day for me, Jonathan and Amelia hung out in the evening around the house. Saturday was our crazy day. I worked, then went straight to my Christmas party. Jonathan played, so Amelia was at Granny and Papa's house in the afternoon, then went to church with them and Jonathan had her after that. My party was a lot of fun, it is always good to spend time with my work people outside of work. We had a gift exchange, ate good food and just enjoyed time together. Jonathan wrapped gifts and had a good day with Amelia!

Sunday was a chill day other than the fact that Jonathan and Amelia had the tree lighting. Jonathan sang, so Amelia got to hang out with Granny and Uncle Shem, who came in for the weekend! That ended at 6 just like work did, so I grabbed some dinner on my way home, then the Haas fam grabbed some pizza and came to hang out at our house since we hadn't seen Shem in awhile and he was only in for a few days. I am usually pretty beat up after my weekends that I work, so I like to be home at my house, but I loved seeing my family. 

Week 22: December 13-19

Monday was Amelia's 11 month birthday! To celebrate, we had Christmas with the Haas family! It was the only day Shem was off and we were all able to get together, so we just went for it! I had CPR class in the afternoon, so Amelia went to Miss Faith's house. Before we left, I made some stuffed shells so we would have leftovers, then I did some shopping while I was in Canton, picked up a video camera that we ordered and got all recertified. On my way home I picked Jonathan up, then we went to get Amelia and went straight to Mom and Dad's house for Christmas. We had a great dinner, enjoyed each other's company and exchanged gifts. It was a lot of fun for everybody!

Tuesday I worked, Jonathan worked in the apartment and then he wrapped gifts. Wednesday was the fun day. We decorated our tree, I finished my Christmas shopping and took a trip into town to run some errands too, we ordered our laptop, watched the season finale of our favorite show and had ham and potato chowder. All of those things combined makes for a great day off! 

Jonathan and I both had dentist appointments on Thursday, so Grandma came to hang out with Amelia in the morning so that we could both get there on time, then Faith picked Amelia up after her nap! After work, I went to pick Amelia up at Mom and Dad's because Jonathan had the band Christmas party. We ended up getting home at the same time!

Friday was a crazy day. Work was ridiculously busy and stressful, I have had a bunch of complications with my refrigerator and vaccines and stuff that really doesn't have a lot to do with actually practicing pharmacy but is being controlled by people who really don't know what's going on in a pharmacy but are making us meet crazy standards. Thankfully, my supervisors are understanding and helpful, so that makes my job 100 times easier, but not enough on Friday. It was just a crazy day. Afterward, I came home, Jonathan had some food ready for me since I barely got to eat at work and then we jumped in the car and went out to Orrville for Grandpa Landis' 90th birthday party! A lot of family came in for it and we were glad to get to see everyone for a little while.

I was off on Saturday and Sunday, so we finished up a few little Christmas errands on Saturday, got Hot Heads for lunch and took care of our tired little baby! After a late night on Friday she was just exhausted. She took two long naps in less than ideal situations, so we were thankful that she got caught up! When we got home from shopping our new laptop was here, so we spent some time getting that ready, then went to church. After we got home, we watched a movie, I worked on some letters for work and we just enjoyed a relaxing evening at home.

Sunday was another home day. We were just here the whole time and that was awesome. It doesn't seem to happen often enough! Jonathan had the men's breakfast for church, I worked on a letter of recommendation and Christmas letters for my girls at work and Mom came to visit while Jonathan was gone. We had ritz chicken for dinner, Jonathan worked on the ductwork for our bedroom for a little bit, we did laundry, then finished the evening out with a show and preparing for the rest of the week!

Overall, it has been a pretty good three weeks. Once I started feeling better it got a lot better for everyone! I think we are all ready for Christmas now, I hope everyone else is too! It is our first Christmas with Amelia on the outside, so we are very excited! Have a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year and we will catch you in 2022!

Love you all!

Allison, Jonathan and Amelia

Amelia 11 Months:

Other Random Amelia Photos:

Year 3, Weeks 15-19: Vacation, Thanksgiving and Amelia’s First Wedding

 

Forgive me for my lack of writing, we were on vacation the week I was supposed to be getting caught up…so I didn’t get caught up! But we are back now and I make absolutely no promises! With the holidays coming up, it is bound to be spotty and a little unpredictable, but we are always trying. So, let’s see if I can remember anything at all about the last few weeks…

Week 15: October 25-31

Halloween week, which is not a holiday that we celebrate, was a long week for me. On Monday, Pam came to watch Amelia for my long day and I had Swedish meatball pasta bake ready to go in the oven for dinner. It was the first time we had it and it was QUITE good, definitely a keeper. While we were relaxing in the evening we watched a show and booked an airBNB, which I am actually sitting in right now as a type, more on that later, probably next time!

Tuesday was Jonathan’s test, I just realized that I haven’t written since then! Craziness! He took his test, finished early, felt good, went to get Amelia at my parents and hung out with them for awhile. After he came home and got Amelia to bed he chatted with his parents as well, then I finally got done with work and we got to start our post-test life!

Wednesday was a great day off. We finally rented our car for vacation, Shem came over for ham fried rice for lunch, and we had. A nice, relaxing evening. Thursday was normal and I worked the weekend, so Jonathan and Amelia came to see me on Friday after Jonathan was done with work, then he went and worked on the bathroom in the evening!

The rest of the weekend was pretty jam-packed full. Jonathan had lunch with Cory on Saturday before band, then went to play for church and Amelia stayed at Mom and Dad’s. When we all got home after church, there was soup ready in the crock pot! The perfect Saturday meal! Sunday morning, Jonathan made breakfast, then he and Dad spent some time pulling out trees and bushes from around our yard. In the evening, the Landis’ came over, so they were there when I got back from work and Jonathan made a fantastic dinner for all of us! Steaks, foil potatoes and green beans…we all loved it, even Amelia, who has started eating real people food!

Week 16a: November 1-5

This was Shem’s last week home with the family, so we had dinner at the  Haas house! I did some running in the morning to get ready for vacation and also got my hair cut. Tuesday was Election Day, so Amelia got to go vote for her first time…it was a pretty crappy day out, so she had to be very bundled up…not something she enjoyed!

Amelia was sick for about 8-9 days with just a runny nose and some discomfort, I wasn’t sure what was going on and since we were headed out, I wanted to make sure she was okay, so we took her in to the doctor’s, just a cold, but hey, at least I knew! This was also the day that we figured out what we wanted to do on vacation AND found out that Jonathan passed his test! WAHOO!

Thursday and Friday I worked short days, Jonathan went to band and we spent a lot of time packing and getting ready for our first vacation since our honeymoon AND our first vacation since we had Amelia! Destination: Houston, Texas. We have friends, David and Alicia, who live there with their twin boys, Joshua and Isaiah, so we went down and spent a week with them! Such a blessing, since traveling with a baby involves a LOT of stuff, some of which they had and we didn’t have to take!

Week 16b and 17: November 6-14

Saturday morning we woke up, I made some hash for breakfast, Mom and Dad came and picked us up and we went to Pittsburgh to catch our flight out. We were there in plenty of time and had a really smooth time getting through security. They were super accommodating for Amelia and she flew like a champ! Barely any fussing, and when she did, it was only because her little ears were popping! Once we landed and picked up our car we went to Whataburger because we hadn’t eaten since breakfast, then we got to the Guess’ just as the boys’ first birthday party was wrapping up! We got to catch up with David and Alicia once the kids were down and just soaked up being there! In the morning, we woke up, went to church, got Chipotle for lunch and the brewery/Papa John’s for dinner…everything in between was spent allowing Amelia to catch up on sleep and allowing us to catch up with each other and have good conversation…the theme of our trip!

Monday was our big exploring day. We went to the Space Center museum and got to take a tour of the space center, which was really incredible, then we went to Galveston to see the Gulf, do a little shopping and eat some seafood…we also got some of the best ice cream I have ever had! Amelia did really well at the museum, only episode was the result of an explosion from an experiment they were doing with some kids, caught her off guard and she was NOT happy! After that we stayed away from the guy blowing stuff up. Now the beach, she just LOVED the beach! She loves water of any kind, so we were not surprised! She was so sweet and just incredibly happy!

Tuesday was our zoo day, which was actually a lot of fun! I can’t remember the last time I was at a zoo and it was the perfect size for our family right now. We got to see everything and Amelia waved at everyone, human and animal, that she saw, it was absolutely adorable. She just loved the whole thing, other than the Cheetah statue. That’s right, there wasn’t a cheetah, so Jonathan took her up to the statue and she just started yelling, we have no idea why. That evening, Jonathan and David went and picked up Afghan food for us to try. It was incredible! Very flavorful and nothing like anything I had ever had before. I was a little hesitant since new food isn’t really my thing, but I think we were both very impressed!

Wednesday was our last full day there, so we spent it relaxing and looking for souvenirs and a skyline view! We went out for breakfast, then headed to shop. We went to this big, fancy mall and found some Christmas ornaments, which is our official family souvenir, and then went for a hike and finally found a good place to get a picture of the skyline. It’s a little difficult in Houston because it is so spread out, but Jonathan sought out the cute little park area and we got to see it! On our way back to the house we went out for Tex-Mex, because when in Texas, you have to eat Tex-Mex, right? It was delicious, I won’t even lie to you! It was a massive amount of food and I wasn’t even sad about it! 

Thursday morning we said goodbye and headed to the airport. We wanted to get breakfast after we were all situated at the airport and ready to go, but by the time we found a Wendy’s to eat at (there were no breakfast places), they were serving lunch food, so that’s what we got! It served us well and we finished up right as we were boarding, it was a little stressful, but we made it! Dad picked us up at the airport, then Mom came over after conferences and we had Subway and told them all about our trip!

Friday was supposed to be relaxing. We were thinking about going shopping, but decided, nah, we will just stay home. Amelia had a more difficult time on the flight than she did on the way there, we will just relax. Well, Thursday night she woke up screaming and only relaxed and went back to sleep after I gave her some Tylenol. Friday morning she was a mess, cried almost all the time and just was not herself, so we took her to the doctor (again) and she had her first ear infection, poor baby! So we stopped and got Arby’s, then took her home and went in to get her antibiotic. After we knew what it was and could treat it with Tylenol and the antibiotic, we were in the clear! That night I had a spa night at Faith’s, so Jonathan and Amelia just relaxed at home and I enjoyed spending time with the girls! It was a product party, so I ordered some new stuff to try on my eczema, which has been really bad, the stuff might be helping though, we will have to wait and see!

On Saturday we got some shopping done…x2. I went grocery shopping in the morning, then we went shopping to get Amelia some clothes that fit! Girl is fully clothed now and they fit her comfortably…WHEW!It was also her 10 month birthday, so there are photos of that below! Sunday was a home day, we had maple brown sugar baked oatmeal and just spent the day relaxing and getting ready for going back to work and real life, which none of us really wanted to do after our awesome vacation!

Week 18: November 15-21

First day back and I think everyone in our house was sick. I started with a cold on Friday, Jonathan joined in the fun and Amelia was still fighting cold/teething/ear infection/possible thrush, so we were a mess. It was Pam’s day to watch Amelia, so she got to be at home, which was a HUGE gift! I had one dinner plan, but scratched it and tried a new one - corned beef and noodles, which ended up being incredible and SO easy!

It was a long week, and Jonathan just helped me out SO much. On Monday I got the call that they needed help on Wednesday in exchange for me being off on Sunday, now, last time I did this I said I wouldn’t do it again, but, here we are! I agreed because it helped us with family stuff...but it really didn’t help with exhaustion, getting back into work and feeling pretty crappy, so it was a long road for me, but Jonathan was awesome. Cooking is my thing, I love it, I get joy from it and I feel like I am contributing in providing for my family. Jonathan and I have a lot in common, but this interest is NOT it! I couldn’t even start the grill, Jonathan does all of that, but I do about 99% of the cooking. On days that Jonathan gets dinner ready I usually have it prepped and ready to pop in the oven, it’s just how we work together to make it work! Well, Jonathan stepped up and helped me out. Wednesday was supposed to be enchilada day, but it’s tough to make enchiladas when you’re at work until 6, so Jonathan prepped them Tuesday night even though he didn’t want to and I actually cried when I got home and he told me! (Did I mention I was tired?) So that was awesome. Tuesday and Wednesday we had our electric worked on to get the apartment and main house combined, so Jonathan did a lot of work in the apartment those days, Dad even came to hang out and brain storm on Wednesday for a little while! It was a good few days for Jonathan, we are getting really excited about the upstairs and figured out exactly what we wanted to do, so that makes us very excited! 

The rest of the week was just as exhausting. I worked Monday-Saturday, 60 total hours, Jonathan went out of town Thursday and Friday, so I had Que Pasa with Mom and Dad on Thursday night and enjoyed some time with my baby girl. She was tossed around on Friday, but Jonathan came home, so that always makes all of us happy!

Saturday Jonathan played and I worked, so we all got home after church and I was absolutely stressed to the max. We had a TON of stuff planned for Sunday - men’s breakfast, Landis lunch and Dickerhoof thanksgiving dinner - so obviously, I had a lot that I was thinking about. We cleaned the house, got things a little bit organized and had the house ready for visitors! Sunday morning I wasn’t much better, but we pulled it together and made Oktoberfest stew for the Landis fam lunch. We enjoyed our time with them and had some good conversation and time catching up and celebrating together. Dickerhoof Thanksgiving was a blast. We loved seeing everyone and it was the first big family get-together since Miss Amelia joined us!

Week 19: November 22-28

Monday involved a lot of doctor’s appointments and trying to relax a little bit. I got some shopping done and actually did get to relax for a minute or two. We had spaghetti and enjoyed some time together as a family in the evening.

Tuesday was normal, Jonathan and Amelia came to visit and did some shopping for me, which is always helpful! Wednesday was Amelia’s dermatology appointment. She has had a cyst on her neck since she was born, which has not been concerning at all, but her nurse practitioner wanted us to get it looked at to figure out what we needed to do to get rid of it. The doctor was great, had no concerns with it and said there is absolutely no rush at all! Whenever she can lay still for it they will just scrape it off, so no worries at all! After that we went shopping, which was a blast, and got Moe’s for lunch! Amelia is a great little shopper and we enjoyed shopping as a family, honestly, just a fantastic day in the middle of the craziness. 

Thursday was Thanksgiving! I worked 9-2, which went really well, and then we had Haas Thanksgiving! It was so much fun, we had a great time introducing Amelia to my aunt and her family and just loved being together with our family. Friday I worked 10-6 and got a lot of stuff done, then we had dinner when we got home and got to talk to our friends, the Steigers, which was incredibly refreshing.

Saturday my cousin got married! So we enjoyed every single minute of Amelia’s first wedding experience! She did not go to the ceremony…but she LOVED the party and all the attention she got! Sunday I started to feel sick again, just as I was getting over my cold. I was also sick Tuesday and Wednesday, but thought I had treated the mastitis I felt coming on, but Sunday I was just down and out. Exhausted, unmotivated and just plain whooped! So I napped, Jonathan worked on the apartment, I made us some bacon mushroom pasta and we relaxed, got ready for the week and spent time as a family. It was a great ending to a great week!

We have so enjoyed the Thanksgiving season with Amelia. She makes everything better and more joyful, we couldn’t be more thankful to be where we are right now! The holidays are so much fun and we are trying to find the balance between doing stuff and protecting our time at home as a family. It is such a precious balance and all three of us thrive when we are at home, it just simply our favorite place to be!

Thank you for being patient with me as I am not doing well at keeping up, hopefully this gives you a thorough glimpse into what we have been up to!

Love you all!

Happy Thanksgiving,

Allison, Jonathan and Amelia

Random Amelia Photos:

Extra Vacation Photos:

Amelia turns 10 Months Old: