Neal News Now

Recent Photos

2012-01-23T19:35:00.001-08:00

I really don't have time to blog. I don't know how people who do it, let alone people with kids. Right now I have a few moments to post some recent pictures. It's better than nothing.

Enjoy!

Maeve reading to Garrison(he is 8 months now)

This is his mad face

A few pictures

2011-11-09T12:38:00.000-08:00

Recent trip to Granny's.

Garrison-4 months old. He is such a happy baby.

Our trip to the pumpkin patch was not as enjoyable as I thought it would be. Maeve did not want her picture taken.

Recent family gathering at my mom's

Evie's 4th Birthday

2011-10-07T07:26:00.000-07:00

For Evelyn's 4th Birthday this year we went with the Princess theme. Below is my attempt at a castle cake.

We decorated wands and crowns.

Some pretty princesses

Maeve waving her wand

And what party is not complete without a pinata.

New Photos

2011-08-04T07:14:00.000-07:00

I tried to post some photos we just received from our photographer but they were too large and taking to long to upload. Instead I'll just direct you to my facebook page where you can see them.

Chicago

2011-07-25T05:39:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we drove up to Chicago with the whole family and my mom. Yes, all six of us in a car for 14 hours. So happy my mom came along, it made a world of difference. This was actually the best trip we've had to Chicago so far. While Gabe was in class for a week, the rest of us explored Chicago. The Lincoln Park zoo is free and was in walking distance of us so we went there several times. Very nice for a free zoo. They also have a working farm with a few animals you could pet which the kids enjoyed. We checked out the Nature Museum where they had a butterfly exhibit. The girls loved looking/chasing the butterflies. We also took them to the children's museum. The best two stories of fun for kids that I've seen so far. They had a blast. One day I got brave and took the kids to Millennium Park and "the bean" while my mom did a little shopping. The girls had fun running around and all was going well until I dropped my phone in about a foot of water and then we lost a shoe of Maeve's in a waterway. Praise God my phone dried out and I don't have to replace it and thankfully we had an extra pair of shoes for Maeve. : )

The goat behind Maeve was nibbling on her shirt.

Butterfly exhibit. There were some beautiful butterflies.

The Bean

Can you find us?

Garrison is a little over 2 months now. We have enjoyed every minute, well maybe not the 2 am feedings. : ) Below are a few newborn pics our photographer took when he was a couple of weeks old.

1 week old

2011-05-31T09:44:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been a week since Garrison was born! And I still can't believe we have a boy. We didn't know the gender, so it was definitely a surprise when he came out. The girls are finally warming up to him, and in the last day or so Maeve has enjoyed helping me take care of him. I'm doing well, just tired and adjusting to life with 3 kids.

Going home from the Hospital

Maeve finally warming up to Garrison after a week

Visit from Nanna

Evie giving Garrison some love

It's a boy!

2011-05-23T19:36:00.000-07:00

Garrison Lee Neal was born at 8:34 on May 23rd. 6 lb 14 oz and 20 1/2 in long. Delivery went fairly quick and no complications. Both baby and mother are doing fine. We'll be sure to post more pictures later.

Random Pictures

2011-04-19T14:31:00.000-07:00

It's been way too long since I have posted anything. I blame it on the fatigue associated with my growing belly. We have mostly stayed busy with the routine of life but have had a few travels. The latest being my brother-in-laws wedding in DC and then some trips to the Dallas area for triathlons that Gabe has been participating in.

The girls first carnival ride. This was Evelyn's favorite. Maeve really enjoyed the carrousel.

The last triathlon Gabe participated in.
About to start the swim. He is in the black and white, flexing his muscles.

A recent trip to the Children's Museum.

The first pregnancy photo I've managed to take.
32 Weeks

Being silly

Snow Day

2011-02-09T11:32:00.000-08:00

A few photos of the kids playing in snow we recently had. They lasted about 5 minutes and were ready to come in.

2011-01-03T15:42:00.000-08:00

Gabe bought me a video camera for Christmas and this was our first video. Hopefully with a better camera and the faster internet connection we now have, I'll be able to easily post some footage of the kids...I know the grandparents will like that. : )

Animal Farm and Family Pictures

2010-12-22T05:46:00.000-08:00

I seem to be averaging 1 post a month so here is my post for December. Hopefully I'll get a few more in this month. : )

Several months back we visited a ranch/animal farm...I've already forgotten the name of it. But the kids had a blast. They got to ride a pony, feed and milk a cow, pet many animals, and take a train ride.

Licking Evelyn's shoe

Feeding goats

Train ride

Some recent family photos

Pumpkin Patch and Country Fair

2010-11-01T18:53:00.000-07:00

A few pictures from the past week.

Evelyn showing me her mini pumpkin that she picked out

Maeve with her pumpkin

They both seemed so sad about something

Maeve smiling at her big sister

This year Evelyn was Snow White and Maeve a pumpkin.
This was at the church country fair.

Family photo at the country fair

There was live music at the fair so Daddy and Maeve did a little dancing.

A Hair Cut and Carrots

2010-10-19T07:53:00.001-07:00

I was looking back at my last post and noticed it has been some time since we updated. Today I actually have a free moment so I thought I would do just that.

Evelyn turned 3 on Sept 19th which we celebrated for about 3 weeks. We had several different parties with friends and family so it extended the birthday celebration for some time. I don't think she minded. (pictures of her party to come soon.) We also recently cut her hair. I didn't really want to get rid of the cute little curls at the end but it was becoming a battle every day to brush them. For weeks I kept telling her that if we cut her hair it would be easier to brush, and one day out of the blue she asked me to cut it. Getting ready has been much easier.

Maeve gave us quite a scare recently. For a week she had an awful cough and terrible wheezing. After several trips to the doctor with everything looking good we just didn't know what was going on. I do believe it was the Lord that brought back to my memory a carrot, choking incident. In light of that, the doctors thought there might be something down there making her wheeze. Last Tuesday she went into the hospital for a bronchoscopy and came out with a small piece of carrot. Before all of you think I am an awful parent, she picked up the carrot from her older sister and when I heard her choking on it I immediately checked her out and she seemed fine. It wasn't until later that she started wheezing and we thought she was just showing signs of being sick. She has recovered well and we are praising God that there was a doctor here in town that could do the procedure as soon as he did.

I couldn't get a good picture, but you can see a piece of orange carrot at the top of the picture, inside the jar. It looks small but anything thing inside your airway, besides air, is just too big.

Not eating raw carrots until she has molars

Gabe has been preparing for a triathlon which with take place this weekend. This is his first one and his goal right now is to finish the race. The kids and I will be there to cheer him on and take pictures. : )

Well I think that is all for now. I'm doing my usual thing, cooking, taking care of the house and kids, sewing and reading when I have a chance.

Trying on Mommies shoes.

Maeve liked the black ones better.

First Day of School

2010-09-09T11:15:00.000-07:00

The girls started a mother's day out program at our church this week. Evelyn was actually sick on her first day of school and Maeve missed her second day after catching whatever big sis had. Next week is a new week. Hopefully they will both feel better enough to go next week as I am looking forward to a little time to myself.

Maeve on her first day. I think she was concerned that I did not pack enough food for her to eat. This girl has a big appetite right now.

Evelyn on her first day

Wondering why mom insist on taking a picture.

5 Years

2010-08-15T18:19:00.000-07:00

On Friday, the 13th, Gabe and I celebrated 5 years of being married. It has been a wonderful 5 years and I am thankful everyday for him. Gabe's brother happened to be in town so we decided to take a trip out to the Blue Bell factory. I never thought I would have spent our 5th anniversary at Blue Bell, but is was a sweet treat. We all enjoyed it. Later that night Gabe took me out to a one of our favorite restaurants here in town.

Maeve was past due on a nap so she ended up falling asleep during the tour. Evelyn is showing me her strawberry ice cream.

A few cute sayings from Evelyn...before I forget them all.

Every time we pass the local car dealership with the big blow up of Yoda on top, she says, "There's YoYo, Mommy."

"It smells like snuck." She means skunk.

When I am drying my hair she says, "Mommy wind me." She wants me to dry her.

Summer, thus far

2010-07-30T12:07:00.000-07:00

We have been very busy here at the Neal household. I haven't made any time for blogging, so here are some photos from a few trips we've taken.

At the beginning of June we took a trip to Spokane, Wa.

Evelyn and I at the top of a large wagon at Riverfront Park

Evleyn's first ride at an amusement park. She loved the airplanes.

After a week visiting friends in Wa, we headed down to Oregon and spent a few days with friends there. One day we took a trip out to the beach. The water was very cold and the kids got very sandy. They loved it.

Maeve discovering sand, which we later caught her putting fistfuls of it into her mouth.

At the beginning of July we took a trip up to Tulsa, Ok to visit Gabe's family.

We spent on morning at the aquarium

Popping fireworks on the 4th.

Maeve and Evelyn were both a bit distressed by the loud sounds of the fireworks.

Maeve with her Poppy, Gabe's dad

Evelyn and Gigi

Maeve now has 7 teeth and in the past few days has started walking. She loves eating, following her sister around, and being cuddled.

Evelyn will be 3 in a few months and is growing too fast. Her vocabulary grows everyday and she continues to amaze me with what she says and does. She has become quite the little helper around the house as well.

As most of you know my father passed away on July 4th. He battled cancer for 10 years and we are grateful for the time we had with him. He is no longer in pain. I am also thankful for the outpouring of love and support from all our friends. We are truly blessed to have such wonderful people as friends. Tears are starting to emerge so I will stop for now.

Maeve's 1st Birthday

2010-06-09T11:44:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago Gabe took Evelyn fishing at a friends pond. They caught 2 fish. After about 20 mins of fishing, she was done. Gabe had fun while it lasted.

Maeve is now a year old. It is hard to believe a year has passed. She has 4 teeth. Two on the bottom and her two incisors.

Last night we celebrated her birthday with our Bible study. It just happened to be on the same night. After the cupcakes I made a few weeks ago I decided to pay for the convenience of store made ones. I did make the letters to put on top.

Destroying the cupcake.

Sampling the cupcake. Not sure if it is something she wants to eat.

Deciding that it is edible and taste good.

Happy Birthday to Maeve!

It took her a while but she ate most of the cupcake and had a blast getting it all over her.

Happy Early Birthday

2010-05-22T06:27:00.001-07:00

Last week we celebrated the all the babies turning 1 in our Bible study, minus one family who couldn't make it because of a sick child. They were all born within a few weeks of each other, some just a few days apart. It turned out to be a wonderful evening to be outside and all the kiddos had a blast except for Maeve who wasn't feeling so well. I think she is finally getting some more teeth.

The cupcakes came about from an idea I saw from www.annies-eats.com. The party was at 5pm, I decided at 2pm to make these. Having never made them before that was not such a good idea to start so late in the day. I think we would have missed the party if not for my friend Bobbi who came over to help make them. I think they turned out super cute.

Maeve decided to cry at her party.

She didn't even want her cupcake. Oh well, more for me!

I needed some thank you cards recently so I decided to make some.

The Last month or so In Pictures

2010-05-12T11:45:00.001-07:00

Here are a few pictures of what we've been doing.

I April our photographer took some family photos out in the bluebonnets. More photos are posted on my facebook account.

A few weeks ago we went hiking at Bastrop State park with good friends.

Maeve was not excited about hanging out on my back. Evelyn loved her view, and was not to thrilled about walking when we put her down.

On Mother's day we had Maeve dedicated at church. Here is a family photo after. You can see how excited the kids were. I have a short video of the dedication but am having trouble downloading it. I know the grandparents are anxious to see.

I actually have more photos to share, but my computer tells me my "start up" disc is full and will not allow me to download anything else. When I get all that worked out I'll post more photos.

Maeve is almost walking. She will be 1 in June and just might be walking by then.

A Gabe Post: Self Criticism is Healthy

2010-05-09T10:54:00.000-07:00

The video below is a well-played satire on most contemporary evangelical churches. It stings in its honesty. But I think it is healthy to recognize what part of our life is cultural and what part is unchanging. The Gospel is unchanged, the mode of its delivery is cultural. Christ's work on the cross for us is eternal, how we share it can be adapted to the culture in which we present it. I have no problem with social satire as long as the Gospel itself is not watered down.

Enjoy, and then think about what church might look in 10 years, and then ask yourself why you go to church. Is it for the experience or something more eternal?

http://vimeo.com/11501569

Potty Training

2010-04-18T16:29:00.000-07:00

Yes! We are finally potting training. Fed up with changing diapers on 2 kids, I was determined to train Evelyn to use the potty. It has been a week now since I sat her on her little potty, put a movie on, gave her a lollipop, and told her not to get up until she went. It took a few lollipops but we finally had success. She has done very well this week. We are so proud of her.

The Zoo

2010-04-11T06:56:00.000-07:00

Some friends of our were so kind as to take Evelyn to the zoo with them on Saturday. When she arrived home after her fun filled day, I asked her what animals she saw.

Her response, "A squirrel."

Let the Celebration Begin

2010-04-01T19:35:00.000-07:00

My dad is celebrating another birthday, on Saturday. Since we could not be there we had an early birthday for him last weekend. He was in the hospital but that did not stop us. We had a wonderful time with family and friends. Thanks Dad!

Enjoying ice cream!

Blowing bubbles

The girls enjoying an Easter gift from their Nana. Maeve was working hard to get that egg opened.

Just for fun

I had a little fun myself dying eggs this year.

The Easter Egg hunt at our church.

Evelyn excited about the candy. We had a hard time convincing her that if she picked up more eggs she would get more candy. She did not want to let that first egg and piece of candy go.

Repurposing

2010-03-18T08:25:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been into "repurposing" items around the house. Instead of throwing out an unwanted item I've tried to find another use for it hanks to some ideas from Martha Stewart, Real Simple, and Pottery Barn. Maybe you will be inspired to repurpose instead of throwing out. Or feel free to bring your discarded items to me and I'll find something to do with them. : )

Before: 3/4 length sleeve shirt with collar

After: short sleeve shirt w/out collar that Evelyn can wear

Before: skirt I no longer could wear

After: Dress that Evelyn can wear

Before: Another old shirt of mine

After: Short sleeve shirt that Evelyn can wear. Fits more like a tunic and cute with leggings.

No "before" picture but it was a skirt of mine. Turned it into a dress and embellished it with handmade "flowers"

Before it was a brown frame with out a piece of glass. I strung 2 wires in the frame and now I can hang my ear rings on it. I used a ribbon to hang it on the wall.

Before: Another larger brown frame without glass. I painted it white, put hooks at the top and now it holds my necklaces.

New Family Photos

2010-03-08T06:17:00.001-08:00

We finally were able to finish the photo session we started last November with our photographer. (Due to bad weather and rescheduling on our part.) She is wonderful to work with and I just love the photos we get from her. Here are the latest greatest.

Catching Up

2010-02-23T19:18:00.000-08:00

We are done with the month of salads. I like salads and will continue to eat them but it gets old after a month of eating lettuce for dinner. We are now on to other meals and there are some from my Real Simple and Martha Stewart magazines that I think I'll try.

This past weekend we took a little trip to Hot Springs, Ar with my family and some close friends. We rented a house right on the lake and Gabe even got to do a little fishing. My dad's health is declining and I was really thankful we got to spend an enjoyable weekend him there.

Evelyn's vocabulary is growing daily. She is now repeating phrases that she hears like, "I'm on top of the world!" and "Oh dear!" I don't know where she got those from.

Maeve is now pulling up on things. She wants so badly to walk and chase after her big sister.

I can't believe it snowed here today!
Evelyn enjoyed getting out in it.

On the Move

2010-02-03T18:13:00.000-08:00

It's official, Maeve is crawling as of Tuesday, February 2, 2010. She has been been scooting herself around for about a month or so but not crawling. This means she can get to her sister's toys a lot faster now.

And she's off!

Such focus

She is not even distracted by me taking her picture.

Evelyn on the other hand is known as the "Destroyer" at Sunday School. Apparently she likes to push over the kitchen set they have in their class. She has never done this at home. She does however throw things when she gets angry (we are working on appropriate ways to handle anger), so I asked her teacher if she pushed it over out of anger. "Oh, no. The kids were laughing at her when she did it." Now on our way to church we have to talk about good and bad behavior.

We are still eating salads, except for when we eat out. The last few I've made were Chickpea and Tomato Salad and Tabbouleh. I also made some focaccia bread to go along side.

It's also official that I beat Gabe in a game of Scrabble!

Ace is the place

2010-01-29T16:27:00.000-08:00

I think my new favorite hardware store to shop at is Ace. Four reasons why:
1.) very close to my house
2.) free popcorn (Evie loves popcorn)
3.) very nice and helpful people who are actually nice and helpful
4.) did I mention free popcorn : )

I'll be honest and say I get a little excited when shopping at DIY stores like Ace, Lowes, etc. So many tools, gadgets, and other things I would like to have for all those DIY projects around the house that I just can't seem to get to.

And now for our latest salads: sweet potato and bean salad and wild rice with cucumber and orange salad.

Surprisingly good for having rice, 3 different colored bell peppers, cucumber, orange, tomatoes, and red onion.

I think this is the second salad made with cooked sweet potato. Gabe isn't a big fan of the potato in the salad so maybe we won't do that again. Another good salad for have many ingredients.

"I Fix It!"

2010-01-22T18:18:00.000-08:00

A phrase I hear often around the house, "I fix it!" Spoken with a sense of enthusiasm and pride. I should be happy, but now I wonder, "What did Evelyn break?" "What is she into?"

"I fix it," usually means that I (mommy) has to now glue something back together, clean some mess, or repair something. To Evelyn, it means that she has altered the state of something that I would rather her not change. Thankfully no great damage has been done but it does mean that I have one more task on my never ending to-do list. A few of her latest "fixes."

Yesterday afternoon:
Mommy: Evelyn, we don't write on the floor. Only on paper.
Evelyn: (Picks up a piece of clothing from the bathroom floor. (Yes, I sometimes keep dirty clothes on the bathroom floor.) Puts it over her drawing, pats it a few times.) "Mommy, I fix it!"
Mommy: Covering up your drawing does not remove it from the floor.

A few days ago:
Evelyn: Look, I fix it!
I look up to find that she has pushed the dining room chair over to the window, climbed in it and has pulled off the rod on the blinds that you use to open and close them. Now I have to find a way to attach it back on.

This morning:
Evelyn: Wow, I fix it!
She has now opened up some of my eye shadow and is trying to put it on her face with her finger.

At least I know that when I hear, "I fix it," I should go and check things out.

The two latest salads we've eaten are Tuna and herbed fusilli salad and Shrimp and mango salad.

The tuna salad had tomatoes, yellow bell peppers and red onions with a homemade dressing which was very good. It called for canned tuna which we tried and I wasn't a big fan of. Maybe some other meat would have been better.

The shrimp salad was ok but it was missing something to tie the flavors together.

The latest salads and a basketball game

2010-01-19T19:20:00.000-08:00

Our salad for the weekend was roasted garlic, sweet potato, broiled eggplant and bell pepper with mozzarella. I don't think I would have ever put those ingredients together in a salad with lettuce but it worked. The eggplant and sweet potato made it filling.

Last night we had coconut shrimp with cucumber salad. It was also served with basmati which had coriander seeds and cilantro mixed in. So the shrimp were to be battered in coconut and then broiled. Mine got a little burnt and most of the coconut stuck to the pan. Gabe said it was good. That's all that matters, right?

A friend of mine gave us tickets to the OU vs. A&M basketball game tonight which Gabe was excited about seeing, since he is an OU fan. We brought Evelyn along with us and I just knew she would have a blast. Not the case. As soon as the fans started cheering she burst into tears. More cheering, more tears. She was miserable and scared so we left. I was a bit sad as basketball is the one sport I don't mind watching and I was enjoying the company of a good friend. Maybe we should have brought Maeve and left Evelyn with the babysitter.

Jesus, "Born on Christmas Day"

2010-01-13T06:34:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Gabe and I made a trip out to World Market to pick up a few things. (Last time we were there he broke a bottle of wine so we were hoping not to repeat that mistake.) I was looking around the store, pushing Evelyn in a cart and Gabe had Maeve in a cart. Periodically Gabe would bring over some item he found to show me. Each time he came alone, and I assumed Maeve was just around the corner from the direction he came. Finally, being a bit concerned I asked, "Do you have Maeve?" His eyes got really big and he exclaimed, "Oh Jesus!" (Now normally he doesn't say this and the tone is his voice was more of, "Oh Lord, please let my child be safe.) The funny part of this story is after Gabe said, "Oh Jesus" and rushed off, Evelyn immediately followed with, "Born on Christmas day."

Maeve was quietly sitting in the cart where Gabe had left her at the front of the store.

Last night for dinner we had Artichoke and Prosciutto Salad. Again another great salad. I was however a bit hungry a few hours later but maybe that was because I had a salad for lunch as well that day.

More Salads

2010-01-11T12:40:00.000-08:00

A few nights ago we had Lima bean and Sausage Salad with a homemade harissa paste. The recipe actually called for chorizo but I forgot to get some at the store so I used spicy Italian sausage instead. It almost tasted like a taco salad.

I was gone for the weekend so no salads for us.

Tonight I made a Bell Pepper with Goat cheese and Capers Salad. Not filling enough to eat by itself so we had left over roasted duck and hummus with veggies. (sometimes I get a craving for hummus.)

Evelyn and Gabe getting the mail. Every evening when Gabe comes home, they go out and get the mail together. (sorry I didn't rotate the pic.)

Evelyn before her first week back at Mother's day out. She really is happy to be going. And she loves the boots that Gigi got her. Thank you Gigi!

Christmas, New Years, and Other Events

2010-01-06T06:30:00.000-08:00

This year we spent Christmas with my family in Marshall, Tx. We all had a wonderful, relaxing time together. I think Evelyn's favorite toy was the the stroller that her Nana gave her. She loved pushing her doll, and anything else she could fit in the stroller, around the house, Maeve enjoyed playing with the wrapping paper.

The day after I celebrated 30 years of life. My mom and I went shopping, always something I enjoy doing, and then met the rest of the family for lunch.

One of gifts Gabe got me was a cookbook of salad recipes. I've decided that as a healthy way to start out the new year I will make a new salad each night for dinner for the next month. This may sound crazy to most of you but not all of the salads are lettuce with a few veggies. Last night we had roasted duck salad and it was not only filling but very yummy. I'll keep you updated on how it goes for the next month. Gabe might be regretting that he bought me a salad cookbook.

New Year's was spent in Grapevine with Gabe's mom and grandmother. Evelyn had fun playing with Gigi's dogs and even told me at one point during the weekend that she "needed a dog." The day after I had fun shopping with my mother-in-law and later hanging out with some of Gabe's cousins.

The girls are growing up too fast. Evelyn enjoys playing in her kitchen, painting, and helping me with any project I'm working on. She loves to hide and have you make three guesses as to where she is hiding. After the third guess she pops out from her spot and exclaims, "Here Evie is!"

Maeve is finally sleeping through the night, every night. Her and Evelyn now officially share a room. Maeve is getting close to crawling, and She loves being around Evelyn and watching her. It is so cute when they make each other laugh.

Evelyn enjoying a chocolate biscotti

Showing some love

Maeve, "Let's get this party started."

Evelyn and her frog helping with the laundry

My roasted duck salad. It was quite tasty, even the next night as left-overs.

Asleep at the wheel

2009-12-16T20:57:00.000-08:00

So far Maeve, at about 6 1/2 months, is sitting up reasonably, rolling over, testing her vocal cords, doing push-ups, moving around, and often puts herself to sleep by bouncing.

Evelyn didn't really enjoy the jumper but Maeve sure does. She wears herself out jumping about once a day.

China and other news

2009-11-28T20:12:00.000-08:00

As most of you know we recently returned from a week long trip to China. Gabe was invited, along with some other businessmen, to give ethics lectures at several universities in China. He spoke on medical ethics. When Gabe was first asked to go, he agreed only to do so if he could bring the whole family. We really didn't think they would want children along but to our surprise they welcomed us all.

I spent weeks preparing and packing us up. However, nothing can really prepare you for a 13 hour flight with a 2 year old and a 5 month old. Praise God and thanks to all those who were praying for us, the flights were not bad at all. Their ears bothered them but not too bad. Gabe and I managed to get a few hours of sleep and the girls a few hours more. And we had a few meltdowns from the girls but they didn't last long.

It's hard to sum up all that we experienced in that week but I think we both walked away feeling blessed and encouraged. God opened some doors for us for future work in China as well as allowed us to get a glimpse of what He is doing among his people there. Evelyn had a blast. We spent part of the time staying with friends which was encouraging for us and hopefully for them. : ) Our friends had 2 kids the same ages as Evelyn and Maeve and Evelyn loved having someone to play with.

The flight back was again long (no way getting around that) but we made it through and were very happy to be home. Below are a few photos. I may post more later.

Family photo outside of a very Western mall.
(Much better than any malls we have around here.)

Maeve enjoying some lunch of dumplings and sweet potato

Countryside view on the train ride

Evelyn checking out the other apartments

On a more difficult note, while we were in China we got news that my dad has been diagnosed with acute myloid (sp) leukemia and has growing melanoma. He as had several cancers in the past so this was not a surprise but it was shocking when they told us he had about 2 weeks to live. If the treatment he is taking works then he could have several more months. He is to go home from the hospital today, Monday. He will continue treatments but as an out-patient. We are enjoying as much time with him as we can. Processing all of this has been hard but praise God that our hope lies with him. My father will either be healed here on earth or have a new body in heaven.

A few new pictures

2009-11-05T19:56:00.000-08:00

This year we dressed Evelyn up as a pumpkin and Maeve as a chili pepper. Once Evelyn figured out that you got candy each time you went to a new house she had a blast. It didn't take long for her to want to carry her own bag for fear of loosing all the candy she had acquired. Her favorite piece, the sucker. We were all sticky by the end of the night.

We told her to smile and say cheese. It looks like she is praying...maybe for lots of candy.

Last year we went to the fire station and I couldn't keep her out of the fire truck. This year just standing in front of the fire truck evoked tears and crying.

Maeve and Evelyn sharing a sweet moment. They were laughing at each other.

Customer Service

2009-11-05T05:54:00.000-08:00

I recently had such a wonderful experience with a store here in town that I just had to share. About 4 months ago I purchased a Born, leather bag from Browns Shoe's here in town. As some of you may know I have been carrying it around as a diaper bag. Last week I picked up the bag and to my surprise the leather around the handle was torn. I was shocked and sad. The bag was not cheap and I expected better quality from Born. I contacted Born, thinking "It's been 4 months I'm sure there is nothing that Brown's can do for me." I spoke with a very nice lady at Born who said they have stopped making bags and to contact the store I purchased it from to see if they could help me. So I took it into Browns, they took a look at it and said they would see if it could be fixed. They also said if it couldn't be fixed they would either give me another bag (they didn't have any more bags like mine) or give me store credit.

Well yesterday they called to say the bag was ready. I picked it up and it looked as good as new. The store clerk said that if I was satisfied then they would cover the cost of having it fixed. (They use a guy here in town who repairs shoes)

How often do you have a store that takes care of a defect in another company's product? Way to go Brown's!

I Love My Husband

2009-11-02T13:02:00.000-08:00

For no reason at all he bought me something that I mentioned I wanted for Christmas and gave it to me a few days ago. He had a sweet card to go with it and he even had it wrapped in a stylish bag.

He does many other things to show his love for me some being changing the dirty diapers and cleaning up after dinner. Oh how I get tired of changing diapers.

Pumpkin Patch and Other Adventures

2009-10-23T11:17:00.001-07:00

The past week has been busy around the Neal household. It began last Wednesday with Gabe and I driving to Houston to the U2 concert. The 3 hour drive in traffic was long but we were excited about seeing U2. The 20 minute walk from a parking lot wasn't bad. It could have been further and we were almost there. Getting to the gate and realizing we only had 1 ticket for 2 people was heart sinking. Conversation as follows:

Gabe: Ok, I've got my ticket, do you have yours?
Stacy: (Shocked) I gave you both tickets. Are you joking with me?
Gabe: You only gave me 1 ticket.
Stacy: (panicked) No, I gave you both tickets when we got out of the car.

We start emptying our pockets, hoping to magically find the ticket but no such luck.

Stacy: (upset, all most in tears and trying not to curse at myself for loosing a U2 ticket that my brother-in-law gave me) We'll have to go back to the car. Maybe it's in my purse.

In an almost sprint we got back to the car in record time and greatly relieved and excited to find the other ticket still in my purse.

Oddly enough after being almost an hour late to the opening band we were still able to get floor spots about 50 ft away from the outer stage. We had a great view of U2!

Stacy's lesson learned: Gabe should always ask if I gave him both tickets.
Gabe's lesson learned: Stacy should always give me both tickets.

Well Maeve is protesting with tears and crying that it is time to eat so I'll cut this short.

Other happenings: on Thursday we had a house guest move in. An intern with the Navigators on campus. On Friday my parents came in for the weekend. On Saturday we had a garage sale and made way more than I expected. On Sunday we drove to Austin for a team meeting for our up coming trip to East Asia.

Pictures at the Pumpkin Patch

Evelyn blessing Maeve or casting a spell on her with the piece of straw she found at the Pumpkin Patch.

Maeve staring off into the distant wishing she were somewhere else.

Evelyn likes to pick objects up, put it next to her ear, and pretend she is talking on the phone. She couldn't pick up the pumpkin so she leaned over and started talking.

Evelyn with shampoo in her hair, on her hands, on her clothes, on my couch. She was having a good time rubbing shampoo on the sofa.

New photos of Maeve

2009-10-10T12:04:00.000-07:00

I finally was able to take some more photos of Maeve. I just don't have the free time like I did with Evelyn. Below are some from my impromptu photo shoot. I even got a few of her laughing.

Maeve about the same age and pose as the picture of Evelyn below.

Funny Face

Showing some leg

No more pictures!

Zoo Pictures

2009-09-27T14:03:00.000-07:00

I thought there were more pictures of us at the zoo but I guess we took more video. Here are a few good ones.

We had a wonderful weekend with Gabe's parents who drove down to see the girls and celebrate Evie's birthday. Evelyn had a blast playing with the their two dogs and loved the attention from GiGi and Poppy.

Evelyn brushing the goats.

So Maeve is laughing and smiling now, she just stops when I pull out the camera. I captured a little smile here.

Evelyn and GiGi walking the dogs.

Evie's 2nd Birthday

2009-09-21T14:00:00.000-07:00

Video from Evie's birthday and our trip to the zoo. It's about 10 minutes long. And yes she is crying in the first clip. She stuck her finger in the candle as soon as I put it in front of her. We got off to a rough start on her big day. Pictures to come soon.

Sweet Moments

2009-09-18T08:15:00.001-07:00

Our neighbors were so kind as to give us a camera they were not using so below is my first attempt at taking a video of Maeve. It is almost 2 minutes and she really doesn't do much. It is mainly for the grandparents. I know they want to see how she has grown.

It makes me so happy when Evelyn actually does something nice out of her own free will. This morning after I gave her a cup of milk that she was asking for she said "Thank you mommy" and smiled. I didn't even have to prompt her.

A Few Random Pictures

2009-09-17T07:58:00.000-07:00

This was sometime in May or whenever it started to get hot. We spent at least one day a week with friends playing in the water. None of them knew how to use the slip' n slide but they had fun getting wet.

Evelyn preferred to drink the water from the slip'n slide

For about a month we went to the park every morning to play before it got too hot. She fell asleep while I was pushing her.

First day of Gymnastics-She was supposed to run around the circle and sit down. Once she finally understood what to do she didn't want to sit down and ran around a few more times. That's her at the top of the picture standing with her teacher telling her to sit.

They're Back

2009-08-30T19:26:00.000-07:00

So we've lived here about 3 years now and I should know better than to go to the grocery store the Sunday before school starts, but against my best judgment I went anyway. I will never make that mistake again. I did go with the expectation that things would be crazy so that helped. And I normally don't like to take kids shopping with me but this time Evelyn helped me score the "Parent with child" parking spot. HEB was swarming with people. I felt like I had to wait in line just to get some milk. Not only did you have to navigate through packed aisles, but you also had to work your way around the workers who were re-stocking the shelves. It wasn't even the end of the day and they were already running out of things. Many of you know all this and stayed away from the stores this weekend...in the future I will too.

More pics to come of the kids soon.

My Wife is Awesome

2009-08-19T20:32:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Aren't the pictures that Stacy takes great!?! My children are fed and clothed; our house is pleasure to come home to, and I eat like a king when she cooks. Among the many other incredible things my wife is and does let me just say...my wife is awesome.

Gabe

August

2009-08-17T19:36:00.000-07:00

So not a lot going on since our trip. We recently celebrated 4 years of marriage, rearranged the furniture in our living room, and I sprained my wrist shoveling dirt in our flower bed. Gabe spends time in the evenings working on his papers. Maeve is starting to surprise us with sleeping through the night. It's not all night or even every night but I'll take it when it comes. Evelyn is surprising us daily with her 2-3 word sentences. I can't believe she will be 2 in a month. I'm feeling better about life with 2 kids. It's amazing how a good night's sleep changes your outlook on the day.

Getting pics of the girls has not been easy but I've taken a few recently.

Enjoy.

Maeve thinking about smiling

Not much of a smile but the only one I've been able to capture.
She is not smiling a whole lot yet.

Wide awake

Head shot

"This bow is doing nothing for me. I demand it to be removed!"

"I'll tolerate the flower but I'm not smiling."

Evelyn taking a bite out of her chalk in her playhouse.
I do feed her food.

My art project for the girls room.

My Favorite Restaurant

2009-07-29T09:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I completely forgot to write about what I considered the highlight of our trip. A 4 hour, 23 course meal at my favorite restaurant. If humans have the ability and creativity to prepare meals that look and taste as fantastic as these, then I can't wait to have dinner in heaven.

Yes, I realize it may be a little weird to take pictures of your food and then blog about it but I don't care. Don't worry I didn't post a picture of them all, just some of our favorites.

This dish was called RHUBARB with goat milk and onion, on a pillow filled with lavender infused air which slowly leaked out

WATERMELLON with lime and nasturgium. You inhaled it all in one sweet bite.

We called this "Carney Food." On the left is a mustard sorbe with passionfruit and allspice. Doesn't taste weird at all. In the middle was a smoldering cinnamon stick with a fried sweet potato on the end. On the left was bacon cooked in butterscotch, apple and thyme.

SOFT SHELL CRAB with carrot, five spice, and duck

PIGEONNEAU a la Saint Clair (a famous french dish made from the original early 1900 recipe) mazing, and not surprising since Chef Achatz worked at the French Laundry.

Home Again

2009-07-27T12:23:00.001-07:00

We are back from Chicago. We got smart on the way back and instead of driving the entire 15 hours in one day we broke up our drive and spent the night in St. Louis visiting some very good friends. The visit was all too short but refreshing.

Our last day in Chicago was spent doing some tourist things. We took an architectural boat tour along the river that runs through the city. We learned a lot about the city's buildings and history. Highly recommend it. A tour with no walking is always nice. Then we went to Millennium Park and walked around some.

The break was nice but we are glad to be home and together again as a family.

Some building from the tour. I've already forgotten but I like the reflection the of other buildings from across the river in this building.

The "Bean" in Millennium park

A flower garden in the park

View of downtown buildings from across the street at the park

Chicago

2009-07-22T11:14:00.000-07:00

While in Chicago I thought I would get caught up on some reading and hit the hotel gym everyday. Neither of those have happened but I have scored some great deals while shopping and covered many miles walking up and down Michigan Ave. We've eaten at our favorite restaurant and even took a short trip to South Bend, IN to hang out with some close friends. It has been so nice to have a bit of a break from "normal life." Thanks mom, dad and Marcus for helping to take care of Evelyn.

More pics to come later.

Us at Notre Dame

Maeve sleeping

Maeve in her cute hat that a friend made

4 Weeks Old

2009-07-07T09:08:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if there is anything more "American" than spending the 4th of July going to a baseball game and watching fireworks. (Although I'm pretty sure the fireworks thing came from China.)

It could have been a real disaster but we took the kids to a Rangers game in Arlington on the 4th and had a wonderful time. We were 10 rows up from third base so we had a great view and thankfully we had a whole team of family there to help us entertain Evelyn. (Thanks Gigi, Poppy, Uncle Ed, Aunt Debbie, and Uncle Greg.) Evie was a real trooper and made it to the 7th inning. She didn't get to see the fireworks at the end but I don't think she cared. Maeve slept the entire time and didn't seem to mind the heat or the noise.

Having fun at the Game

A picture with Poppy right before her meltdown. She is really wanting the Rangers to win.

The Neal Family

A visit from Poppy and few weeks ago

2 Weeks and 2 Days

2009-06-24T09:18:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe our little girl is already 2 weeks old. Thank goodness, otherwise I would be writing about how uncomfortable it is to be pregnant. Her due date was to be this Saturday. Now we get to share pics of our beautiful little girl. : )

Evelyn has adjusted well so far. She enjoys kissing and holding Maeve.

More Pictures

2009-06-16T18:31:00.000-07:00

More pics of our two girls. Sorry too tired to write a long post. Maeve has her days and nights confused.

Oh, some of you have asked how her name is pronounced, it rhymes with Dave. Some of you might request it's use in a sentence.

"Maeve, save Dave from inside the cave!" Hope this helps. : )

Evelyn trying out the baby swing

Nana holding her new granddaughter

Painting cookies with Gigi

Eating most of the icing

She finally likes wearing sunglasses

Maeve sleeping

More of Day 2

2009-06-09T18:47:00.000-07:00

Evelyn came up to visit this evening and was a little more interested in Maeve. She actually wanted to hold her. She was the little more excited about the baby doll we gave her today.

Special thanks to Bobbi for watching Evelyn these past two days while I've been in the hospital. There is not much that entertains her up here except for pushing all the buttons on the beds.

Deciding if she likes Maeve or not

Giving her kisses

I think she likes her.

Maeve, Day 2

2009-06-09T13:26:00.001-07:00

Things are going well for Stacy and Maeve and we plan on going home tomorrow morning. I've posted 4 more photos from today. Enjoy, we look forward to introducing you all to Maeve in person.

Love,
Stacy and Gabe

Just for fun at the end of this post I'm putting pic of Evelyn after birth so you can see how they compare.

Evelyn

Maeve Elizabeth Neal

2009-06-08T19:11:00.001-07:00

A funny thing happened today on the way to lunch. Stacy had a doctor visit and then we had a baby. What!? Yeah, Totally. Stacy had a hair cut planned and a pedicure and all kinds of last minute prep "to dos" this week before the baby came...

Stacy's family physician, Anna, found her to be 5 cm dilated during her visit and so Stacy was sent over the hospital, got her epidural (which she missed last time) and delivered a few hours later. No probs. From my perspective easy as pie. All the women out there can began hurling objects at me now.

A few pics from our day, more to come. We love you all. Thanks be to God for a wonderful delivery, amazing wife and beautiful new daughter who is safe and well.

Stacy laboring with an epidural. Notice the smile.

Stacy with newborn Maeve

Happy Momma

Happy Parents

Us with Anna Damian, Stacy's Family Doc.

Maeve suggesting that she might be hungry

Maeve strongly suggesting that she might be hungry. And by "might" she means definitely.

Maeve content

Maeve alert, taking it in.

Evelyn giving Maeve a kiss. The first of a lifetime of sisterhood.

The New Neals

Proud Pappa

Proud Pappa x 2

2009-05-05T19:28:00.000-07:00

Gabe thinks this video is ridiculously funny. The music is catchy too.

By the way, he posted this, not me.

Easter Weekend

2009-04-12T19:10:00.000-07:00

This weekend my family came to visit for Easter. We were very happy they were able to come especially since my dad has been in and out of the hospital recently. They brought their dog, which Evie loves, as well as her very own bounce house to play in. (They rent them out along with other party supplies as part of their business.) She had a blast in it.

On Saturday, I decided we would take her pictures while sitting the the bluebonnets. We found a nice spot not too far from our house. Then we took a trip to the mall where I just couldn't pass up a cute spring dress. After that, it was fun in the bounce house. She hasn't figured out how to "jump" just yet but she had fun trying to walk and falling down. While she was napping I hid a few eggs in the yard. She enjoying collecting them but might have been a bit disappointed when she stopped to open them and find there was nothing in them. (I was not about to fill a bunch of eggs with candy that she didn't need.) Her favorite thing to do with the eggs is to open them and have us put them back together so she can open them again. I think she would do this all day as long as you were willing to put them back together for her. We ended the day with more playing in the bounce house and chasing the dog around the yard.

I really am thankful that we have family (both mine and Gabe's) that share the same hope with us that Easter brings. I was reminded again at church on Sunday that this IS the greatest celebration we have. We really would live in a hopeless world if Christ had not overcome death.

Enjoying the bounce house

Trying to pick up an egg without spilling her basket

"Now, I thought I saw another egg over here."

Easter morning

March and Some of April

2009-04-05T18:48:00.000-07:00

Evelyn and I recently took a trip to visit my family while Gabe went to Chicago for course work on his masters. We had a very productive weekend helping my mom repaint her kitchen and working on some other projects around the house. Evelyn enjoyed playing with my parents dog and watching way too much TV. I don't often resort to entertaining her with hours of television watching, but it was either that or have her help paint. Below are a few pictures of Evie from our trip.

On Friday night our church had an Easter Egg hunt. I wasn't sure how Evelyn would respond but she quickly figured out that you should collect as many eggs as you could in your basket. She also enjoyed opening the eggs and dumping the contents onto the ground. I forgot my camera but Gabe took a few pictures with his phone and we may have some more to post later from a friend of ours.

Looking for more eggs

Sharing the loot with friends

Enjoying some of the candy for herself.

We were talking with friends and looked over to find her enjoying a nice piece of chocolate.

Only 2 1/2 more months until our little girl arrives. Lately I have been busy redecorating Evelyn's current room so that it will be ready for the both of them to share. I realize that having them share a room could be a big mistake. I'm hoping it works out, but we'll see. The biggest change to the room is the addition of Evelyn's new toddler bed. We've spent the past weekend having her sleep in it. The first night I think Gabe got up three times with her and after the third time I put her back in her crib. The second night Gabe only got up twice. (He's such a nice husband to get up and let me sleep.) She can't open the door yet so she stands at her door knocking and trying to turn the handle while crying of course. I'm hopeful that tonight will be better.

Lately I've had the urge to clean drawers and closets out and then reorganize them. With everything I've collected maybe I'll have a garage sell in June before the baby arrives. We'll see what my energy level is like then.

So right now my evenings are spent with me organizing the house and Gabe working on a paper for his class. We are an exciting couple. Who knows what we'll be doing the next time I find the time to post.

A Busy Weekend

2009-03-09T13:13:00.000-07:00

I think most people already know but we are having a girl. I'm 24 weeks so not too much longer to go. We are all doing well besides me staying tired most of the time.

This past weekend was very busy. Friday morning I had a cooking class with several friends. I've got some great new quick and easy recipes now. That evening Gabe and I joined our neighbors for a performance by Andrea Marcovicci. None of us knew who she was but Gabe was sure she was some famous opera singer. Turns out she is the Queen of Cabaret and her performance this night was love songs from WWII. We were not familiar with any of the songs and were by far the youngest people in the audience. She had a nice voice and thankfully gave the history of the songs as she went along which made it enjoyable.

Saturday morning we had some college kids from our church come over and help us plant some flowers and dig up some things that we were tired of looking at.

After that we were off to an Aggie basketball game thanks to my friend Sharon who had extra tickets. I was so excited to take Evelyn. I was convinced she would have a blast. Well she wasn't excited as I was but at least she didn't cry. Most of time time she sat on our laps chewing on a straw from Gabe's drink. She seemed ambivalent about being there. We got a few claps and smiles out of her.

Next on our list after a short nap was a birthday party for one of Evelyn's friends. I think there was a little more excitement for her at the party. After playing for a while in the backyard she was getting restless, so I suggested to Gabe that he take her over to look at a near by pond. Several kids and parents were previously checking it out so I thought it would be a nice distraction for Evelyn. I got distracted talking to some of the other parents when the next thing I hear is Evelyn crying and someone saying, "I think she fell in!" I look over and here comes Gabe carrying a crying, wet, and muddy Evelyn. She's in shock after slipping into the water up to her neck. Thankfully she was fine, just shocked and dirty, so I had to strip her down right there in the middle of the party. This was her first birthday party that she got to take a bath at, and thankfully our friends had some clothes she could borrow.

Not much else has been going on and that can be a good thing at times.

I promise I will get some more pics out in the next few days. I haven't taken any recent ones and she is not in a picture taking mood this morning.

Relaxing in front of the TV. She likes it way too much now.

These Are a Few of Her Favorite Things

2009-01-29T18:03:00.000-08:00

Kids go through phases about what they like and dislike and in the past several weeks I've noticed some things this Evelyn really likes.

1. Sweeping. She loved my broom but I got tired of her trying to carry it around the house and knocking it into things. I found a broom at the store for $1 and cut half the handle off. Now it is the perfect size and she enjoys trying to sweep up her toys.

That's it. Sweep it all under the rug.

2. Dancing. Her favorite thing to watch is a DVD of Jana Alayra. If you are looking for songs with eternal meaning and not sung by cartoon characters in a high pitched voice then check out the music by Jana. Sign language and motions are also included which makes any song better. :)

3. Climbing on mommy. She loves to jump on my back and climb over me when I'm sitting on the floor.
4. Jelly beans. I realize here that it looks like she is crying but she's not. She is somewhat upset that she can't get one out despite the fact that I opened the bag. And the flash made her close her eyes. Thankfully she is not pouring them out on the floor.

5. Reading and taking a bath. These can be separate or combined activities. She loves put plop a book on our lap and the hold her arms up in the air wanting to be picked up. She gets this really excited look on her face. The same look occurs when she sees the bathtub. She points to it and says "baa" for bath. (Sorry, no photo of her reading or bathing at the time of this post.)

6. Praying. I think one of the sweetest things I've seen her do is fold her hands before we pray. (Which I'm not sure where she learned this because Gabe and I have always held each others hand while praying.) To conclude the prayer she says, "maymen" and then begins to clap. This happens about 5 seconds into the prayer. She must be very hungry.

Hopefully she'll enjoy these things for longer than a few weeks. The jelly beans we could do with out...but it could be worse. Besides, we are almost finished with the bag.

January 2009

2009-01-16T19:16:00.000-08:00

Not a lot going on since the start of the new year. Right now we are all fighting off colds as the weather changes from 40 to 70 every other day. Does the drastic change in temperature make it easier to "catch cold?" I'll have to ask Gabe about that.

We had a wonderful early Christmas with my family and then it was off to Tulsa where we spent some time with Gabe's family. Evelyn enjoyed seeing some of her cousins close to her age and playing with Grandpa and GiGi's dogs. She also got to the experience the comfort of a new toddler bed. Boy was it fun waking up several times in the middle of the night to "hunt" for your child who was crying and had fallen out of bed yet again.

Evie now has mastered quite a collection of animal sounds. She has also picked up another word in sign language. "Please," gets used often when she wants the candy off the coffee table. At least she is being polite. It has been so much fun to watch her grow and I am always amazed at how much she has learned.

Hopefully the next time I post something we'll be able to tell you all if we are having a boy or girl. Gabe thinks it's a boy. We'll see.

Trying to reach for a present.

My family at Christmas

Showing off for the camera

Opening presents...she enjoyed tearing the paper off.

Evelyn opening presents with Gigi and Grandpa. She got a lot of practice!

Evelyn is wondering why she didn't get a Michael Crichton book. Maybe because you can't read.

Cleaning up. She enjoyed pushing the broom around. We should have given her a broom . It would have been cheaper and less work for me around the house.

Mid December

2008-12-18T13:16:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures of Evelyn. She enjoyed looking at the snow but would not touch or stand in it. Last weekend we had a early Christmas with my family. Evie loved tearing open the gifts. This weekend we are driving to Tulsa to spend Christmas with Gabe's family. Maybe there will be some snow.

Gabe was recently on the local news. For those who missed it you can catch it here. It was a brief segment but I was proud of him.

Have a very Merry Christmas!

Our first and probably only snowfall.

Evelyn as The Ghost Child

No, no. I wasn't about to take this ornament off the tree.

Helping Mommy Sort Laundry

1. Smell the clothes to see if they are dirty.

2. Taste the clothes to see if they are dirty.

3. Throw on the floor. It's dirty.

December

2008-12-02T08:43:00.001-08:00

Once again more than an month has past with no updates or pictures. This time I'm blaming it on the fact that I'm pregnant and have experienced more nausea with this one than the last. I spend most of my afternoons napping which leaves only a few hours in the evening to cook, tidy up a bit and relax before going to bed at 9 pm or earlier. We are a little over 10 weeks and everything is looking good so far.

Before Thanksgiving I did make it to a play group field trip at a local fire department. Evelyn loved being in the fire truck, especially the drivers seat. It was all I could do to keep her out of the seat after she already had a fourth and fifth turn sitting up there. She didn't go so much for the fireman wearing all his gear but the fire truck she liked.

For Thanksgiving this year we invited some of our Chinese and Korean friends over for a Thanksgiving meal. They loved it. The ham was a little overdone but no one seemed to mind. I tried something new this year. Stuffing in a bag. I was tired of cooking. 5 minutes on the stove top and the stuffing was finished. Not as good as grandma's recipe but not bad either.

Having fun at the park

October

2008-10-30T19:41:00.000-07:00

It appears these posts will be more of a monthly event rather than weekly. I'm not much of a writer, so posting is more of a task than a creative outlet. For the Grandparents I'll try and post pictures on a regular basis.

Gabe and I recently returned from a 4 day cruise. It was a very relaxing trip. I actually got to read and finish a book, we watched several movies, ate whenever we wanted to, and slept in until 9:00am. We were able to experience all of this as my sweet parents were so kind to keep Evelyn for us. They of course had a blast and are ready for us to take another trip.

It seems like there is always some project that we are working on. In Aug and Sept it was our kitchen, now it is Gabe's office. No remodeling to be done, just decorating. They've moved into their new offices and have a lot of blank walls, so I'm getting to decorate most of it. It has been fun but a bit time consuming. I am determined not to pay full price for any thing at Hobby Lobby. So I have to wait a week or so until whatever it is I'm wanting to buy goes on sale.

Evelyn is finding more and more to get into as the days pass. The other day I went to her room to check on her as I realized that it had become just a little to quiet. I found her on the floor surrounded by a pile of paperback books and torn pages. I was not happy about that.

For Halloween we dressed her up in a strawberry costume and spent the evening with friends. Evie enjoyed trying to climb up the slid and her favorite Halloween treat was sand from our friends sandbox. I caught her putting fist-fulls into her mouth.

This was our evening activity while on the cruise. Watching the sun set.

The Afternoon Sky

Our Little Strawbery

Looking for a Treat

Playing with Friends

Climbing up the Slide

2008-10-02T07:42:00.000-07:00

Wow! A month since our last post. I had good intentions of posting weekly...really I did.

What We've Been Up To

Evie turned 1 on Sept 19th. We were in Grapevine visiting family that weekend so her GiGi bought an ice cream cake to celebrate. Evelyn enjoyed the icing. She received a few presents and the one she loved to play most with was a bear that sang when the arm was squeezed. That was a fun 3 hour ride home. That song is burned into our brain now. She is now walking, still working on balancing but would rather walk than crawl most of the time.

The kitchen is finished, except a few touch-ups that need to be done. I'm so happy we were able to remodel it.

I finished my scuba certification. Yeah! Last weekend Gabe went with me to the Blue Lagoon in Huntsville and did my check out dive with me. We decided to plan a dive trip soon before it gets too cold or we get pregnant again. I have also starting teaching a Bible/English class to internationals through our church. Most are here because their husbands are either studying or working at A&M.

Gabe is getting ready to move into his new office. He and the staff are very excited. He has also been working so very hard on a paper for one of his Master's classes. (That's really why I haven't been able to blog....he's been busy on the computer every night. ) It hasn't been easy but I am so proud of the work he has done.

I think that about sums up the past month. Check out the pictures below of our cutie and kitchen.

Stacy and Gabe.

Evie spotted a dog at the park. She loves dogs.

1st Birthday Cake
She is never sure what to think when we put cake in front of her.

"Not bad, maybe I'll have another taste."

"Ok, so I got a little carried away."

Helping with the dishes at great-grandmother's house. She crawled up there herself.

Not sure what she was thinking here.

Discovering bark on a tree.

Very happy with her leaf

Our finished kitchen.

10 Year Reunion

2008-08-31T16:32:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we loaded up the car and headed to Marshall for my 10 year high school reunion. I can't say that I was super excited about going but I wasn't dreading it either. I decided to keep my expectations low. In high school I was not part of the popular crowd. I was shy and quiet. (I know this is a shocker to those that know me now : ) I was in band (which some may consider nerdy) and most of my close friends were from band or my church. I always tried to do my best not to stand out but rather blend in. Well apparently I succeeded. Not only did Gabe (who didn't go to our school) get more waves and "hello's" from classmates but my one friend that I keep in touch with from high school (Chad) had to introduce me to several of our classmates. The funniest was when a classmate walked up to our table and started talking to Chad. To be polite, Chad turns to me and says, "And you remember Stacy." Implying of course you would remember Stacy. She gets this blank stare on her face and then a long pause followed by incomplete words as she tries to come up with a reason why she doesn't remember me. It was quite awkward for all sitting at the table. We couldn't help but to bust out laughing after she quickly walked away.

Another favorite comment, "She looks familiar. Do I know her?" Chad's reply, "She went to school with us."

It was as I expected. Few people I knew showed up and most people seemed to revert back to the way they acted in high school.

Our kitchen is finally coming together. Gabe and I stayed up until 1 am tiling last Thursday and got up the next morning and grouted. We finally have our new counter tops and are hoping to paint sometime this week.

Evelyn is changing rapidly before our eyes. On the way to Marshall she learned how to play peek-a-boo. She holds the blanket over her face, waits for me to say, "Where's Evie?" and then pulls the blanket down. Her top front tooth is coming in. She is standing for longer periods without holding onto something. And when she walks with her walker, she pulls it back and tries to turn around after running into something. My mom had a little birthday cake for her when we were staying with them. She wasn't sure what to think of the candle but had a great time eating cake and icing.

Evelyn and Neal Playing

View from the living room

The finished back splash

View from the entry way

"Where's Evie?"

"There she is!"

"What am I supposed to do with this?"

"If I play dumb, I might be able to eat it all before they notice."

"Is this some kind of trick? Why are you all staring at me?"

"Who cares, this is good. I'm eating it all anyways."

A funny thing...

2008-08-21T17:51:00.000-07:00

So a funny thing happened today at Starbucks. I locked Evelyn in the car. Thankfully it had been raining so it was a little cooler than the usual crazy hot. I quickly ran into Starbucks, borrowed a friends phone and called pop-a-lock. (Which is free if a child is trapped inside.) Within minutes we had a fire truck and ambulance team working on the car. After what seemed like forever standing in the now pouring rain, the fireman was able to open the door. As if things were not already embarrassing enough, apparently the back door was almost closed but not quite so if I had only closed the door completely then it would have activated the never-lock-your-keys-in-the-car system and I would have been able to avoid the three ring circus. The fire man was kind enough not to make me feel even more like an idiot when he pointed out how I could have unlocked the doors. Oh well, now I know and we can all laugh at it. For those of you who already knew this handy info about the door, please don't write and tell me. You were not there standing in the rain watching your kid cry inside the car.

Our kitchen is looking better. The pipe was able to be moved. We are just waiting for our counter tops to be installed, hopefully tomorrow. This weekend we will put the knowledge gained from watching HGTV into practice as Gabe and I install the tile back splash.

Last week we took in a new housemate . My friend's younger sister, Haley, needed a place to live while going to Blinn, so she is living with us. We are getting a refresher course in the complexity (or lack thereof) of college life.

We just passed 11 months with Evelyn. I can't believe she will soon be a year old. She loves it when I chase her around the house, and she is enjoying the extra attention from Haley.

We are thinking of leaving the lights exposed. It gives the room that warehouse feel.

Evelyn's new favorite toy is a pair of lemons. She crawls around everywhere with them, or at least she did until I cooked with them.

She loves pushing the walker around. We are actually training her to mow the lawn.

Keep us posted,
Gabe and Stacy

Demolition Day

2008-08-11T07:39:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday was demolition day. My parents and brother came into town and helped us tear down the kitchen cabinets and the sheet rock off the wall. In about 3 hours my brother and dad had it all taken out. Way to go guys! We could not have done this without you. Gabe, my mom, and I helped with the clean-up. As a side note, let me say that Gabe would have helped with the demo but he was working at the hospital all morning saving lives. He was very disappointed that he did not get to tear down the wall. My mom, Evelyn and I came home from running errands to a layer of sheet rock dust on everything. I did not think to cover the book shelves so we had fun dusting every book in our living room. Here is our kitchen in it's current state.
We are hoping the pipes can be moved. If not, this could all have been a horrible mistake. Any ideas on how to camouflage them.
Evelyn loves playing with cords. Look at that face. She is almost daring me to come and take it away from her. Let's see what happens.
She looks it over and thinks, "I wonder what this will taste like?"
And into the mouth it goes. I might add that Evelyn was not harmed in the taking of this picture as I quickly removed the cord from her mouth.

August. And, uh, stuff.

2008-08-05T06:08:00.000-07:00

Life is staying busy at the Neal household. We are very excited about our upcoming kitchen remodel. In effort to save some money we've decided that we would do some of the work ourselves. We have never tackled any projects like this so we shall see how it all turns out. I've been doing my homework and watched a fair bit of HGTV while in Chicago. I don't know if that qualifies me to remodel our kitchen but it sure inspires me.

We are also looking forward to the opening of our church at it's new location and the start of our fall bible study. Evie keeps us busy. We occasionally catch her standing unsupported. Maybe she will be walking by her first birthday?

I've recently joined the world of facebook. If you're on, leave us a note.

Gabe starting the demolition of our kitchen. Yes, he is wearing a dress shirt and dress pants. And, yes, the shirt is pink.

Now on to more important pictures. The many faces of Evelyn as she enjoys a teething biscuit for the first time.

Pure Delight

Curiosity

A Full Mouth

Happiness. And two little teeth.

Satisfied

That's all. No more pictures please.

My what big teeth you have Evelyn!

Big teeth!? Let me check this out.

Oh no!! What happened?

The Past Two Months

2008-07-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

For all of you who thought we would never post again and were tired of checking our blog spot only to find the same old blog, well I have finally found some time to post again.

June was a big month for Evie. She took her first swimming lessons. She loved putting her face in the water and drinking it. Going down the frog slid eventually became exciting but what she enjoyed most was the watering can that they got to play with. In June, Evelyn also got really fast at crawling. One second she is playing right in front of me, the next she has found her way over to some object she should not be putting in her mouth.

In mid July we spent 9 days in Chicago sans Evelyn. For Stacy this was a great vacation from the work of being a full time mom. She shopped, slept, ate, and watched HGTV. Mostly the first and latter. Gabe spent the week at a Trinity University Bioethics Institute and Conference. He is pursuing a Masters in Bioethics. He is researching the biblical and naturalist ethical response to Embryonic and Non-Embryonic Stem Cell research, In-Vitro Fertilization, Cloning, and Cognitive Enhancement among other issues. Stacy's parents kept Evelyn and apparently fed her lots of biscuits and chocolate chip cookies.

We are doing well and are staying busy. Keep in touch!

Gabe and Stacy

Sliding down the red tongue of doom!!!!

Landing Safely in the Water

Going after the watering can. We don't know why.

My friend Xiaoyan and her son Neal.

Hi, I'm really cute.

Why yes, I was aware that I'm quite cute.

"Hello? Yes this is Evelyn...sure, I can be a GAP model."

Chicago skyline from the Field Museum.

"The Bean" in Millennium Park

The Grab Bag of Life-May 2008

2008-05-30T07:40:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone, let's reach our hand in and see what we grab first.

Ohh, a shiny new mother's day. Gabe surprised me with a weekend of pleasure. And by pleasure I mean...yard work. We've been trying to make changes in our back yard with very slow progress so Gabe took a day off from work, took me out to breakfast, and helped me work in the yard all weekend.

Let's see what we pull out next:

Ohh, a shiny trip to the beach. Memorial day weekend we met our friends the Water's, the Leiva's, and Erika's brother and his girlfriend in Port Aransas. We had a great time. The boys enjoyed fishing, poker, and Acquire (a board game). The ladies enjoyed a weekend of pleasure. And by pleasure we mean sitting by the pool sipping beverages. Evelyn enjoyed lounging in her covered floaty.

Sounds like there is still something in the bag. Ohh, a shiny new Camry.

The Camaro just wasn't working as a family car so we stopped by a Toyota dealership run by a family friend who was able to give us a great deal on a car. If you need a Toyota check out Ron Carter Toyota in Alvin, TX. If you need a '95 Camaro, give us a call.

On a more serious note, Stacy's dad, Lee, was diagnosed with melanoma. He recently had most of his left ear removed and may need further treatment. Please pray for his recovery.

Evelyn is on the brink of crawling and starting to show more of her personality. She is quite the little ham...she gets that from her father.

You never know what you are going to grab out of the bag of life. Let's hope it is good.

Love,
Gabe and Stacy

Playing with this toy sure makes me hungry.

Maybe there's some food in here.

Alas, no food.

First steps on the beach

Walking with Mom and Dad

Do I look like Dad?

Or more like Mom?

She really likes the beach.

The first casualty of mobility. You naughty head, I mean knotty head, you!

April 2008

2008-04-20T16:54:00.000-07:00

Well probably the biggest, latest, greatest news is that Evelyn has intentionally pooped in the toilet for 6 out of last 7 days. That's an even higher hit percentage than Gabe. We're so proud of Evelyn.

Easter was spent visiting Stacy's family in Marshall and then Gabe's family met up with us in Dallas for a day. We really cherish being able to spend time with family.

Currently Gabe and I are sitting on the couch, writing this blog with the iPod on shuffle. The light from outside is that soft post-sunset glow. The light from the inside is earthy and goes well with the cups of decaf coffee that are almost finished. Somewhere in the distance Sting is telling us to fill each other up with love.

We finished the book Life of Pi. After reading it I feel now more prepared than ever to survive in the ocean on a life boat with a tiger. Hopefully I will never find myself in a place where that knowledge becomes "practical." Not sure what to read next. We are open to suggestions as long as they are legit.

Lately I've been doing more sewing, gardening, and getting certified in scuba. In my spare time I raise a seven month old.

That's all the Neal news for now. Be well.

Stacy and Gabe

Evelyn sporting the new wrap-dress Stacy made for her. She will be enrolling this Fall in the Intergalactic Jedi Training Center.

Belly check.

Smile check. Great-Grandma still has more teeth.

Hello new Baby Gap model.

...She's bringin' tutu back. Yep!

"I told you the tutu would work! I told you!"

March 2008

2008-03-13T18:21:00.000-07:00

We just spent the past week in sunny Scottsdale, cold kickin' it with Gabe's best friends Tory McJ and Paul Lynchmob and their respective wives Jenny and Janne. Gabe attended a Bioethics conference and now thinks he wants to get a masters in it. We'll see. Stacy attended a shopping conference at multiple sites and came away with some sweet deals. While driving around Scottsdale in our Avenger (which honestly couldn't avenge itself out of a paper bag) we grooved to the latest Jars of Clay album, Good Monsters. You should check it out. It was a good time of rest and fun.

Turns out Evelyn is a great traveler. No crying on any of our four flights. We credit this to the best child rearing book we have read so far, To Train Up a Child by Michael and Debi Pearl. This book is legit. Speaking of books we just finished reading aloud The Count of Monte Cristo together. Again, legit. Next up is the Life of Pi. Sounds pretty legit. (Legit is Gabe's word of the day...most days)

Evelyn is on the brink of a lot of milestones. She is almost sitting up but not. She is almost rolling over but not. She is almost reading but not. See pictures below of all the things she enjoys doing.

Hope you all are well. Keep in touch!

Evelyn likes to...

Play with friends,

Chew on toys,

Drink water straight from the glass,

Re-inact scenes from "Little House on the Prairie",

and simply be gorgeous.

January 2008

2008-01-30T18:06:00.000-08:00

2008 has started well and we are back into the groove of routine here in Aggieland. The first half of January was spent just recovering from the holidays. Our Tuesday night home group has grown and we had a murder mystery dinner with a 1920's Chicago theme last weekend.

Evelyn is getting heavy in all of her 15 lbs. This is most noticed when carrying her in her car seat. We've since decided to take away all of her red painted Chinese toys. Who knew? She has learned to roll over as we discovered when she rolled right off the couch and onto the floor. No lasting damage done. Currently she enjoys eating carrots and jumping in her bouncer...not at the same time of course. What she doesn't like is going to bed.

We are looking forward Gabe's 10 year college reunion in February and Stacy's 10 year high school reunion in the Spring. We also have a trip out to Phoenix where Gabe will attend a Bioethics conference and Evelyn and I will do some shopping.

Keep in touch.

Our mafia cousins from Chicago, Della and Augustus, visited one weekend. Della is a, uh, entertainer. Augustus is a news editor, who likes to be, uh, entertained.

Yeah! Meal time! Bring on the carrots!

Is anyone else here bored?
Carrots are so blase...

Pardon me, but do you have any Grey Poupon?

The GPS says turn right but my toy insect says turn left...I'm going with the insect.

No officer, I have not been drinking and jumping. Okay, maybe a few sips from the bottle.

Is Oprah gonna give a car to everyone on the show today?! I can't stand the waiting!

Nope, a re-run. I'm taking a nap.

Ellen is a re-run too. Blast this writers strike!

Christmas 2007

2007-12-30T12:04:00.001-08:00

We had a very busy November-December. We traveled to Tulsa to see Gabe's family for Thanksgiving then traveled to Marshall early in December for a Curry family Christmas. There were several Christmas parties in between and Stacy's family came in for Christmas. Gabe was on-call for the week of Christmas. Whew! Are we glad to get back to a more leisurely pace of life.

Evelyn has grown a lot. She is smiling more, getting more interested in toys, and sitting-up almost unsupported. Her greatest joy remains nursing. Although Stacy and I are way too practical to be buying her presents, her grandparents on both sides made sure she had plenty under the Christmas tree.

We miss all our friends we haven't seen in a while: friends from China, Spokane, and Tulsa. We hope to travel more in the coming year(s). Be well and Happy New Year.

Love,
Stacy, Gabe, and Evelyn

Family Christmas Photo

At the Park

Mother-Daughter Moment

Sunny Days

Evelyn is so sad it's not Christmas yet.

First bites. "Mmm, love those carrots!"

Not really sure what she is doing here...

"I like Christmas tags. The things attached to them are OK too."

More tags?! Yeah!

Carolyn keeps pushing her happy button.

Evelyn likes large bugs. As long as they are made of brightly colored cloth and make noise when you shake them.

8 Weeks

2007-11-13T13:37:00.001-08:00

8 Weeks

Evelyn is really growing. It's hard to tell sometimes when we see her everyday, all day, but as we look back at early photos it's obvious. Also our arms grow tired quicker. We took a trip out to the home of our friends, Tryon and Erin Wickersham, who live in the country. We took a bunch of family photos for our Christmas card. Soon well have to buy an extra hard drive to store all the pictures we have accumulated.

Parenthood tests the limits of your patience, and stretches them. Taking crying. I can stand about 20 seconds of Evelyn crying (and I mean crying) and I'm willing to beg, steal or even change a diaper to make her stop. Stacy on the other hand tolerates it much better. She's willing to wait until I crack, so I can do the above mentioned duties. Actually Stacy is pretty good about anticipating Evelyn needs before the crying starts, for which I, Mr. Clueless, am grateful.

We're looking forward to the Holidays for the opportunity to see family and friends in Tulsa and Marshall. We trust you all are well.

"You can tell the sun, in his jealous sky, that she lies in fields of gold..."

Here we are visiting our friends, the Wickershams, at their home in the country.

Also at the Wickersham's

Dang I've got a big noggin!

The Chubster

"I'm flying, I'm flying!"

Famous for my dance moves.

"Apparently you're not aware that I'm famous. Now I said my milk needed to be warm. You call this warm?"

In the Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-24T17:25:00.000-07:00

5 weeks in. Evelyn has gained a bit of weight and is beginning to sleep through the night. We could not be happier. The initial fatigue of every 2 hour feeds is fading and Stacy and I are finding time to have dates. We are settling in to family life well. People ask me if my life has changed, and the answer is "yes", but frankly having a baby hasn't been "life-changing" the way you typically think of it. Having Evelyn seems really natural, really...right. She should be here now. So I feel more like myself, more like the Gabe who is a dad, and since I was ready, it seems, well, pretty normal. We trust all is well.

Oh look, we found a cute little pumpkin!

Show me angry, baby!

Show me crying, baby...yeah!

Be the pumpkin...be the pumpkin..nahnahnahnah....nahnahnah....

No pictures, no more posing, only milk and mommy's cozy.

Parenting Thoughts 3 Weeks In.

2007-10-08T16:52:00.000-07:00

3 Weeks In

3 weeks into this parenting gig and we're a bit tired. In spite of all the amazing support we get from friends and family (we could not ask for more) we find our energy levels low. Evelyn however is becoming more and more energetic by the day and spending more time awake each day. She still sleeps a lot though. Nights are getting a little better. She is nursing every 4-6 hours now at night, instead of the usual every 2-3 hours.

We see lots of situations where we know what is good for Evelyn, like a clean diaper, bath, or food and yet she cries through it only to realize that at the end, what we wanted for her is nice and stops crying. Smacks of the way God must see us a lot. We ask God to help us, to make us more like Him and then He starts to make us holy, and we start crying.

Evelyn has two modes:
1. "Everything is the way I want it and life is good."
and
2. "Something is not quite the way I want it, and bam, I'm upset."
Describes my 2 modes of prayer almost perfectly.

So we find lots of analogies in Evelyn to our life and relationship to God, as our Father. Quite literally. Maybe some day we can be teenagers in God's eyes and not just babies. I'm sure He's looking forward to that.

"I can see your lips moving, but I can't hear a word you're sayin."

Ninja on the left...

Ninja on the Right...Wha-Cha!

Leopard print is in! Check out my sweet diaper covers! Huggies got nothin' on this.

In case you were doubting I'm the sweetest thing on earth, I present exhibit A above.

Visitors

2007-10-01T10:24:00.001-07:00

Scott and Katrina

Betty and Elizabeth

Nurse Cora Etta-took care of Evelyn while in the hospital

Grandmother Kathryn-don't mess with her while she is holding the baby

Grandpa Gary

Kathy

Lee and Carolyn-Grandparents

The Ludlow's

The Morrissey's

Sara

Trait

The Wang's

Amanda and Emily

Great Aunt Becky

Great Uncle Bob

Megan and Gabe

Liz

The Martins

Mikey
Erika

Sandra

Sharon

Carolyn (now known as Nana)

Chris

Sara- I just love holding babies!

Libby

Erin

Evelyn Alexandra Neal

2007-09-29T09:36:00.002-07:00

Evelyn's First Look at Mommy

September 19, 2007 2:45 am 6lbs. 10 oz. 20 1/4 in.

Smiling at Daddy After Birth

Chewing on Fist

Sound Asleep

Sleeping on Mommy's Shoulder

She's so sweet...maybe I'll just take her home with me.

This job as a baby wears me out.

Taking a nap together

Here we are trying to be creative with our camera.