At a loss....

Right now I feel just at a total and complete loss for words and feelings, but yet I am able to cry at the drop of a hat.

Last night I lost someone very near and dear to my heart. My Grandpa Bill passed away after suffering from a stroke late Saturday evening. This was the great man who baptized me and was my family witness when I was married to Andy in the Bountiful Temple.

Grandpa Bill gave the best hugs, he would hold me close and tight, and for an extended period of time, I knew after hugging him how much he loved me. I am going to miss those hugs so much and in the past twelve hours I keep trying to remember the feeling of the last one I got from him.

As of right now at this moment I don't know much of what is happening next. I do know that I am thankful for the great blessings of my amazing husband who scooped me the largest bowl of vanilla ice cream topped with home made fudge sauce (thanks to Jill who showed up with dinner last night), for my sister-in-law who is doing everything in her power to get me to Utah for the funeral, for my three amazing children all who gave me hugs and wiped away my tears, for the baby that is growing in my belly who's heartbeat I heard this morning for the first time, and for my Father in Heaven who's amazing love has carried me through so much and I know he will carry me through this.

*As of 9:00 p.m. on Monday night, I am going to Utah for the funeral thanks to a buddy pass, please pray that the buddy system works!

Through the fog....

This morning when I woke up and walked down to the back window to see what the weather had in store for us today I saw this family of cardinals through the fog. I love the cardinals and had never seen one until we moved here. Now I get to see them all of the time and I feel so lucky. The bright red color of the male is shocking at times, and just as shocking is that the female practically has no color at all, whad' up with that? (yes, a total referance to SNL, click to watch, and so you know, the guy in the red jumpsuit is my favorite)

Snow + Sun = Sledding

Saturday was a day of sledding, literally all day. We headed out in the morning, took a break for lunch at Mc Donalds (which made Porter's life), went grocery shopping, and then back to the hill with friends for another round. It was so fun to be outside and to feel the sun on our faces again, it has been so long.

And on another note, you could say it was my first time of really sledding. I have been before but it was different than this. I was afraid the first time I went down the hill on Saturday. I made the run with Porter who was also a little afraid to be sitting in the front of the sled, so I had to be tough. When we got to the bottom of the hill after screaming our heads off I said "see that wasn't so bad." I was facing Porter when the words came out of my mouth, but I knew that I was talking to myself, and not that it is all over I can't wait to go again!












As you can see from the photos that Andy put Tessa on Porter's lap, HELLO! (only my husband) You can see that Tessa is almost off Porter's lap at one point, Andy claims that he had a hold of her the whole time, I still don't know if I believe that or not. When they finally stopped Porter just layed there and would not let go of Tessa, he was so afraid of hurting her, he's the best big brother, and now possibly traumatized from the experience.



On another, another note, when I downloaded these pictures, I found Andy had taken some pictures I didn't know about. Here is Porter and Tessa eating the "Sugar cereal" also know as Cinnamon Toast Crunch one of my personal favorites.


She has the best smile.

Ice, Ice, Baby....

We took the kids ice skating this weekend with some friends and it was so fun. I could not believe how well they did, especially Porter, he was doing it all by himself with the cone. He has never been on the ice before so I was feeling extra proud. The only bummer was that Tessa could not get on the ice, she is too little. So I had to stay out to the side with her and she was wanting Daddy the whole time, no fun. They need a special time to go for little people with big ideas.


I love this picture, because Andy and Dave are talking, who is watching the kids that are all about to fall, although Carlee looks like she is doing a professional move.


Dad and his Car Car.


Porter was doing so good and having so much fun!


Anne and her cute little girl Ellie.

And yes the title has everything to do with Vanilla Ice of course. He was my first concert and very entertaining. I still love his first album and I probably know all of the words. (I need to look for that tape....)

Our Christmas....

We had a great Christmas this year. We were so lucky that Andy had three days off in a row to be with us.

We started out on Christmas Eve having a party (thanks to my friend Lauralee for being so organized) at the church with friends. We invited all of the people who don't have family here and we all brought food, we had quite the spread. Sarah brought sugar cookies, frosting, and sprinkles galore for the kids to decorate cookies and Holly organized the kids doing the Nativity. It was so fun, we just hung out, played games, and ate. After the party we came home opened our Christmas Eve jams and a movie and left cookies for Santa.





Thanks to my amazing husband, the kids had a wonderful Christmas morning. Andy wrapped every single gift (I have been a little out of order). We had a wonderful Christmas day. We opened gifts, played with toys, took mini naps, played more, eventually showered, went to a friends for a little gathering, put the kids to bed(rather, they put them sleves to bed) and then Andy and I stayed up late playing a little Monopoly the card game (thanks Devin and Andrea!)













All in all it was a great holiday. I love this time of year it brings so much joy to our lives. Thanks to everyone who helped make our Christmas so wonderful and for helping us feel so loved when we are so far away.

Oh, and we finally got some real snow!

And the mystery reader is....

Andy!!

Yesterday Andy got to be the mystery reader for Porter's kindergarten class, how exciting! Porter had no idea that he was going to be there although he had been asking if we were ever going to be the mystery reader, and we kept saying no.

How it works, Andy waited in the hallway while Mrs. Caputo gave the class a bunch of hints of who's parent it was, they guessed, and then Porter got to go into the hallway to check. He was so happy, but also doing his embarrassed face that I love so much. Porter got to sit up in a chair next to his dad, and then when it came time for the question answer session, Porter got to choose the kids that asked the questions, he held all the power.

Andy decided since he is a doctor to go with a doctor theme. He wore his doctor get-up, chose doctor books, and brought all of the kids a doctor hat. It was so cute to see the kids wearing their hats while Andy read Doctor Dan the Bandage Man.

Andy is such a great dad. I feel so lucky to be married to a man who loves his family so much.

Our Letter....

So this year I have recieved a number of Chirstmas letters via e-mail as an attachment and seen them on people's blogs. I think it is a little crazy, but I can understand. This year we did not send out our typical 50+ because we were trying to save a few bucks, so with that being said here is our letter and the picture that we sent with it.

OHIO COIL CHRISTMAS 2009
Bay Village is still our home and it is nice to still be here when we think about how the past four Christmas letters have come from four different states. This has been a tremendous year of growth since our last letter. Topping the list is Molly, our adopted Golden Retriever still in her toddler years. Little home projects have definitely turned our house into a home with pictures on the wall, a new sandbox in the backyard and our own personal toy warehouse in the basement.

Andy is halfway through his second year in his Emergency Medicine residency and loves to leave the house with his wife saying “I hope you get to stick something in someone or get blood on your Crocs.” He completed the most physically demanding test of his life with a time of 3 hours and 33 minutes in the Akron City marathon. The only thing evading him in Ohio is a 33 inch steelhead trout out of the Rocky River which is 15 minutes from his door.

Shay has a full plate by being the mother of three, volunteering to be Porter’s kindergarten head room parent, continuing to serve as a young women’s leader and being accepted to go back to college at Cleveland State for a degree in education. Shay has discovered her first green thumb, how tough it is to get a Young Women’s medallion by spending countless hours earning hers and how to deal with a tragic haircut from when you try to save a few bucks. She has also found a new favorite pastime by searching for her ancestry.

Porter is almost 6 years old and working on his sight words for Mrs. Caputo’s Kindergarten class that he has every afternoon and is very excited when he sees them in his Star Wars books from the library. One of his favorite new hobbies is the five year old version of Harlem Globetrotter dribbling that he is learning at his afterschool Bee Bouncer basketball class. He learned how to swim across the whole pool for his waterslide pass and ride a two wheel bike this past year, but he still has some work to do on his pulling out of the driveway before Dad will let him drive the car down the street.

Carlee is 4 years old and started preschool this year and had a hard time because most of the kids there don’t know how to “play like Porter.” Thank goodness that she has the ability to speak to anyone in any situation and has made a few good friends who live up to the standard that Porter has set. She loves anything pink or anything animal. Once again she spent a big chunk of her summer in a pink, full leg cast thanks to the trampoline (Big Sigh!) She was able to make it for the last session of swimming lessons at the Bay Village pool where she learned how to pick up the whistle from the pool bottom.

Tessa will be 17 months old by Christmas time and finally has beautiful golden curls covering her perfect deep blue eyed head. She has become the Coil mascot with her deep infectious laugh that regularly rolls throughout the house. She loves to shake her diaper bum to Boom Boom Pow by the Black Eyed Peas. She gives the sweetest hugs and open mouthed kisses ever. She is learning to become a veterinarian by checking Molly’s tonsils daily and her favorite pastimes are blow drying her hair and brushing her teeth with everyone else’s toothbrushes. She has truly become the love of our lives.
We wish you a merry Christmas and can’t wait for you to visit us in Ohio.
Follow us at www.andyshayplus3.blogspot.com



Here are more pics from that day....









Thanks again to Andrea for taking such great pics and making great memories.