Celebrating the Season

As I recently mailed out Christmas cards with this blog listed on them I thought I would do a short "year in review" post. This year has been full of ups and suspensions. I think the theme for this year was push forward and persevere.

Catching up with the Perreault Family

Last year, after spending Christmas in Weest Palm Beach and Wellington with Greg's mom, sister and grandmother, we returned home and rang in the new year with our friend Kyle, Brenda and James McCommis. Then we headed to Boulder, Colorado for the annual religion and media conference where Greg and I both presented papers. Mine was an ethnography of an online church and Greg's was on religion in video games. We loved our little family trip and all the learning and cuisine that Boulder and Denver had to offer.

Then Greg and I both got back to work. Greg in his second semester at University of Missouri Journalism School and I in my first semester as a adjunct teaching three courses in the journalism school. We had visits from Greg's dad and his wife in January, my parents in February, and my sister Sarah in March. Evangeline spent time in her play group with friends Claire and Penny. She moved from rolling on the ground to crawling and then to pulling up.

We worked and studied hard, as Evangeline grew from a baby into a toddler. She learned how to walk at 8. 5 months just in time for our trip to Texas in May. In June we started back at work and school. i took a crisis communication class to begin my Ph D program. Greg also took on a job at Religion News Service for the summer and I worked on a book proposal for two professors at MU.  We went on a lot of walks and tried to keep cool as the summer got hotter. We also hosted a foreign exchange student from Spain. With her we explored Kansas City and St. Louis. Evangeline really loved her visits from her grandma Carri in July, and Grandpa Jacques and G'ma Rachel in August.

Fall rolled around and we started another school year. Greg in his second year and I in my first year as a Ph. D. student. Evangeline was now a full-fledged toddler and into everything. We took family trips to the apple orchard, farmer's market and played in the leaves in the yard. Evangeline also celebrated her first birthday surrounded by more than 60 friends and family. Her father, grandfather, uncle and aunt made her a box castle and her grandma made her a home-made cake. Greg was able to get his 1967 Ford Mustang running again with some help from his dad and a few local mechanics. It still needs some work, but it was nice to know she can run around the block!

In November, we attended the National Communication Association Conference in Orlando and took Evangeline to the Hoop-dee-do Review and spent time with several friends and professors from Georgetown and Mizzou. We also got to see Greg's mom and our friends the Painters.  Greg presented a paper on Kingdom Hearts. For Thanksgiving we stayed home, ran the Eat A lot Turkey Trot and cooked for friends who stayed in town for the holiday.

Now its Winter. We just left Missouri on Tuesday to spend our first Christmas in Texas in more than seven years, just in time to miss the first snow of the season. Last time we spent Christmas here was the year we got engaged.

 We wrapped up the semester successfully. Out academic lives consist of three parts, teaching, courses and research. Greg shadowed this Fall and will teach his first large lecture class (300+ students) in the Spring. I am not teaching this year, but I managed to pass my classes and will be taking four classes in the Fall. This next semester has a reputation for being the most difficult one in my course load. Greg has several papers in the works, and I am working on a paper concerning tornado warning messages.

The next year holds a lot of excitement. I'll be attending a conference in DC in January, and  Greg has at least one conference in DC in the Spring as well. We will celebrate my sister Catelyn's wedding in March and head to Florida for Spring Break and Easter. We plan to attend a few conferences over the summer as well as the Cates Family Reunion on Father's Day weekend in Arkansas. We look forward to these adventures and more and hope to see you all soon.

Bye Orlando!

Here's a few more photos from our vacation, at least the academic part of it : )

Greg's poster on Kingdom Hearts

Hanging out with Edson (from Missouri) at the resort.

Its beginning to look a lot like...

Ok so Evangeline "loves" Christmas. She loves everything about it so far. We knew she loved Christmas trees (from last year), but she also loves Christmas lights, music and even has enjoyed the stories we have read her. I'll post more, but I just thought I would share some of our family's Christmas moments with you (so far) this year.  My favorite thing is that she sings along to Christmas Carols in the car. It makes me so happy my little girl loves to sing.

Greg reading Evangeline the Nutcracker (thanks Mrs. Julie).

Greg got the tree up after Thanksgiving we decorated later in the week.

Evangeline has her own ornaments on the bottom part of the tree. Again working on being "gentle"

Wearing a Santa Hat.

Helping Daddy hang lights.

Lights up on the house in time for Advent.

Setting up the Charlie Brown Nativity.

The Semester's End

Today is the first Sunday in more than 20 weeks I have not had to prepare for class. Greg is also wrapping up. He has a paper due and just finished all his grading.

For those who have asked how we do it, two words--love and perseverance. I could not do this without the love of my Lord, Greg, Evangeline, my parents, sisters, advisers and friends. You all supported me so much this semester. You and many others have given me the perseverance to stick with it when things get tough. Thank you for that.

That said I've learned a lot and plan to reflect on it a little later over break in another post. I'm so grateful for all the support people have given us, and all the encouragement people have sent our way (especially those within Greg and my cohorts and the faculty and staff of the graduate program).

Thanksgiving

After flying back from Orlando and enjoying our visit with some friends from Florida, Missouri and DC we arrived back in CoMo for a little down time. Well, I guess downtime for us is more like studying and writing papers. Greg worked on two papers and I finished my statistics project and started work on on my explication paper. Evangeline did get some quality mom and dad time, and got to see her friends Claire and James before they headed out of town to see their grandparents.

Playing in the Kitchen with Claire.

Swinging with James.

Pies all ready to eat.

 The day before thanksgiving Greg made a trip to the grocery for last minute items and began making pies. He made crusts for five, and a pear cranberry pie. I made two pumpkin and a pecan pie.

Bundled up for the 5/10K

 Thursday Greg and I ran in our neighbor's, The Dixons, annual Turkey Trot. Greg ran the 10K and I ran/walked the 5k and pushed the stroller. It was a little chilly but Evangeline loved it. Greg also won a gift certificate for $10 off a pair of tennis shoes (for the second year in a row). It makes you feel good to burn all those calories before eating like a pig all day.

Daddy and Evangeline post race.

I started the turkey, which brined overnight in an ice chest. Evangeline loved opening and closing the lid, and sitting on the ice chest, although I don't think she understood the turkey was in side.  Greg and Evangeline headed downstairs to watch the Macy's parade, thanks to the antenna that Greg installed earlier in the week. Before that the signal in our basement was extremely weak.

Watching the parade and having pancakes for breakfast.

Evangeline loved the parade, especially the songs and balloons. She also danced with the people on screen. Greg and I almost cried we were so happy.

She loved the dancers and balloons. She even said ball and pointed.

I spent the rest of the day cooking, finishing my apple walnut stuffing, acorn squash, spinach dip, cranberry sauce, giblet gravy, and rolls. At 3 p.m. several friends and international students from the University joined us. We had a great dinner that included Turkey, dressing and all the trimmings, Korean cookies, Russian rice salad and Chinese dumplings.

Rolls in the oven just before the guests arrived.

We enjoyed sharing what we are thankful for, and enjoyed pie and It's a Wonderful Life. And finally we enjoyed a fire in our fire pit in the backyard with some friends joined us for pie and told us they are having a baby in the Spring. It was a great day.

Working girls. In the Kitchen post Thanksgiving.

The next day Evangeline helped me do dishes, and Greg got some Christmas lights. Then we drove to Richland, Missouri to see our Friends Julie and Jared James and meet their baby Halle. We stayed the night at Julie's parent's house and they cooked us a great dinner of steak, and then a great breakfast in the morning. It was wonderful to catch up with Julie and Jared and watch Evangeline as she was "gentle" with baby Halle.

Evangeline was really into Halle. Shortly after this she started using the word "baby" a lot.

Sweet Friend Julie reading Evangeline her new Nutcraker book.

Hoop Dee Do-Dah!

Our second day in Orlando Greg and I took Evangeline to the Hoop Dee Do Review.

Family shot before our adventure.

 I've been two times before, once when I was 11 and again right after Greg and I got married. The show is a review of American Folk Songs, ie. "Davy Crocket" and "Oh Shenandoah." The show is two hours long with dinner and music. Evangeline actually made it through the whole show--and was periodically babbling with the table of boys next to us. It was a great Disney experience for our entire family, and it fit Evangeline's attention span.

So excited while waiting outside the show.

Dancing feet.

Almost in the most wonderful place on earth

This past week Greg and I attended the National Communication Association Conference in Orlando, Florida. It was a great trip and our first chance to introduce Evangeline to a little of Disney World. We arrived late Wednesday night and stayed at two different resort hotels while we were there, first the Wyndam Bonnet Creek and then the Swan and Dolphin. Our friend Liz picked us up from the airport and took us to our first hotel.

Before we left we had a light lunch at Jazz in CoMo.

Evangeline is such a great traveler as is her Panda bear.

Evangeline is a seasoned traveler and loves to watch the plane take off.

We arrived in Orlando and she was so tired.

Evangeline brushing her teeth, her new favorite activity.

Looking out the window at the resorts.

We were really tired after our night of traveling.

Hanging out at the Swan at the NCA conference.

Nana and Sherri came to visit. We walked around the Disney Boardwalk.

On the boardwalk.

Thursday we got a surprise visit from Greg's mom and we also got to see our friends the Painters and their girls. We went to downtown Disney and ate dinner at the Rainforest Cafe. Maddie, Natalie and Evangeline had a great time.

First trip to Rainforest Cafe.

The girls hanging out at the Lego store.

Beautiful, happy Natalie.

Daddy introducing Evangeline to Legos.

One Year Appointment

On Wednesday we made it to Evangeline's one year appointment. She got several shots including a Flu Shot and had her blood drawn to check for led and anemia.

Here's her stats. Evangeline is in the 70 percentile for weight and 75 percentile for height. She is growing a normal rate. She weights 21 pounds and is 31 inches tall.

So tired after her shots

We have successfully been breast feeding for a little over a year now, she breast feeds two or three times a day now. Other than that, she will still only eat solid foods that she can feed herself. Right now she loves turkey bacon and green grapes.

She claps when you sing Happy Birthday (we've had a lot of birthdays to celebrate recently) or say "yay," she also says "hi, hello, dada, mama, dog, ball, okk" (which we think is book), "dadt" and points, and recognizes photos of family members including her two grandfathers.

She loves books and to climb into enclosed spaces--especially her castle which we kept in the living room after her birthday party. She shows every new person who comes to the house all her new toys and books. This week she started having a babysitter come for three hours two days a week so mommy and daddy can get some more time to do research at school.

We are still using cloth diapers, although the cleaning process is a bit more of a challenge now that we have at least two solid poop diapers a day. She wears 5 to 7 diapers a day. I wash two or three times a week.

Doctor's appointments are harder on moms than they are on babies I think. Evangeline did not like getting her shots or her blood drawn, but she was pretty resilient. I however felt awful all day for putting her through it. She got a trip to the mall to ride the train to remedy my spirits and hers.

Riding the Columbia Mall Train

So happy!

Horray its Halloween!

So my Halloween post is also a little late, but I thought I would share what we did for the week after Evangeline's birthday (which included Halloween).

The Tuesday before Halloween we went to trick-or-treat with James and Brenda around Mizzou's Greek Town. Evangeline and James got their first taste of candy. Evangeline wore an Elmo headband and carried her Elmo goody basket Grandma Carri bought her.

Evangeline and James prepare for their trick or treat trip

Getting Candy from one of the Zeta Girls

Evangeline at the ZTA house

On Wednesday, we we hung out with our neighbors Chesney and Arlen. Arlen also brough Evangeline a new cellphone toy for her birthday. They were so cute playing in Evangeline's Cozy Coupe and in the Castle (which we left up from her birthday party).

Evangeline trying to keep Arlen out of the castle.

Squeezing into the Cozy Coupe together. It's too early for my girl to get in a car with a boy.

Opening her birtday gift from Arlen.

Wednesday night Greg pulled her around in the wagon to a few neighbor's houses, we handed out candy to three dozen trick-or-treaters and watched "Its the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" before Evangeline headed to bed. We let her try a Crunch bar while she watched the movie, but only after she ate through the candy bar's wrapper while we were not watching.