what just happened...

So a friend on Facebook had mentioned that her 9 month old daughter is way into Yo Gabba Gabba. I do not enjoy the show (it's just annoying to me...however...I do enjoy the Jack Black episode), however my sweet little girl loves the pink one (Foopa?), and loves the show. She watches it and I let her. It teaches great manners and a number of other things that Matt and I definately value.

But, let me just say, I think DJ Lance looks like our current president...which has lead us to call the show Yo Obama Mama. Now, please know that I'm far from a bigot and grew up in the north with plenty of friends of other races. Matt's and my best friend is Asian (which we're told isn't another color, so therefore doesn't "count"), and Spencer's first babysitter who basically RAISED her was black (but, I guess if I pay her, that doesn't count either...however I still call her and talk wtih her b/c she's like a second mother to me).

Let me just say, the comment I received on Facebook this morning saying, "Just because DJ Lance is black..." implying that I think all black people look the same...give me a little credit here! Am I defending myself? Heck yeah! I WISH two black men would have been comepeting against each other for this election, therefore color could have been taken OFF of the table and the actual ISSUES could have been discussed a year ago! I have no problem with a person of any other color running our country, or being my friend for that matter!

I've never been more offended before. I spend my LIFE reaching out to others and this was just a slap in the face.

And for the record...I still think DJ Lance and Obama look alike. So...if you knew the Elliott family motto...I'd welcome you to it right now.

it's november?!

Really, I can't believe it's November. Where the heck did October go? Oh yeah, on all my freakin' trips! We did manage to end October the fun and festive way with Halloween. It was really hard to top last year's costume (the blue curtain), and this year's costume couldn't really hold a flame to it. Spencer was in and out of an opinion, just about every other day. Even up to the last 3 hours before trick-or-treating she was changing her mind! She came to a "peace" with a Ballerina Princess of the Flowers. She had said a flower for a while, and I could not get my hands on a pre-made flower head piece. So, in my (non-crafty) ways, I made what I thought would resemble a flower headpiece.

...but Matt and I both agree we ended up dressing our daughter as a Vegas show girl. Oh well...I guess that's at least funny. :)

November does not hold much "excitement" (when it comes to traveling...thank you LORD!), but we do have SPENCER'S 4TH BIRTHDAY NEXT WEEK!! We're way excited to celebrate our beautiful little girl and shower her with love and gifts. She's having a very small birthday party with some friends and family (my mom and Jono will be here!), and we'll make a special treat for her class that Monday (something I've really looked forward to doing!).

(above: Spencer cried her way through her All Saints Day production...yes, I had the kid who cries.)

Other than that, we're just busy decorating the house for Thanksgiving, watching our addition come together day by day, and enjoy some much-needed family time! I have SO MUCH vacation time left over (since all my traveling was for work), so I'm taking the week of Thanksgiving off and the last two weeks of December off!! Yay! I'm so excited to have some time off and spend it with my little girl and cute man, before we add another crazy Elliott to the mix.

My job(s) are great and I'm really loving the life the Lord has blessed us with. I hope I am returning those blessings to those around us. I always miss family and the north this time of year, but it'll pass...but never my love for family...or the north! I can't believe I won't be back up to Sewickley until at LEAST the Spring, but it's looking more like summer! This will be the LONGEST I've gone with out returning to the 'burgh! But, it's definately looking like Spencer, baby and me will be around for some 4th of July action! Hoooray! (Am I seriously celebrating a trip next July!?) I want to take in some parades and celebrate with family...and Matt will be working, so it's a good time for us to cut out for a WEEK!

Happy beginning of November!

26 weeks and windows!

I am 26 weeks along and we've got windows and doors on the addition!!

We had a follow-up appointment on our ultra-sound today, to check a few things out, and PRAISE GOD, all that they were watching was in the clear! Yay! God is so good and I'm honored to serve such a loyal and loving Lord.

I am D-O-N-E travleing until December, for a quick weekend with my students, and then I'm home for good until June for my middle school camp. So, very, excited to just BE with my family for a while!

Spencer is very excited for halloween. She WILL NOT be dressing in the above, but will be a "princess pink flower", so I've got to get my head around what exactly that will look like. But, she's more excited to be a big sister to the little one below!

I can't wait to get my hands on this little one!

a weekend in savannah...

This past weekend took me to Savannah, GA for my 1st cousin, Mandy's, wedding. It was a beautiful celebration with lots of parties and time spent together...and yet another weekend without my little girl. The weekend did not start out right when I got into Savannah, driving through pouring down raing through Charleston, and ended up going the wrong way down a road which tacked on another HOUR to my driving. I called Matt, crying and crying, and finally got to my destination. Right as I sat down, I immediately stood back up because I found out the wedding was going to be starting in just about an hour! My sister and I rushed to our hotel (which was hard to do with traffic) and I got ready in RECORD TIME (I have inherited my mother's "knack" for taking forever to get ready) and back to a beautiful garden in Savannah for an outdoor, rainy, wedding. It really was a great night on Friday.

The first night's festivities took us to the Dresser Palmer House in Savannah with family and friends, many of which I have not seen since I was much younger. This was my father's side of the family and there hasn't been much time with them since he passed away when I was 16. I really enjoyed catching up with old, very familiar, faces and laughing a whole lot. (Oh, and my sister managed to "take one for the team" since I couldn't enjoy a libation or two...)

On Saturday morning, we attended a shower for Mandy, back at the Dresser Palmer, toured a bit of the city, toured Mandy's BEAUTIFUL southern home, and then primped and preped for the wedding reception on Sunday evening at the Jepson Center for the Arts in downtown Savannah. Live band, good music, add some Reilly girls dancing...it's a recipe for a good time.

I, however, did not sleep well the entire weekend and don't feel like I slept at all on Saturday night. My sister left for the airport at 4:30am, I tossed and turned for another hour and then gave up. I jumped in the shower, packed up and hit the road by 6:30am! But, I have to say, my drive home was much less stressful! (Minus my 23 minute time in the McDonald's drive thru!!) I was home by 9:45am and managed to make it in time for church...which I was really glad I did because the sermon was great! I was more excited to spend the day with Spencer, as you can see from the above photos, where we played out side all afternoon.

Oh, just a side note. My daughter is TRUELY my daughter. As we were playing witch/prince/princess, Spencer BROKE OUT INTO SONG as I asked the fair maiden what was the problem in her tower. To which...she wanted me to respond in song!!!!!!!!!! My dreams have come true!

This is my sister, cousin Shannon, Aunt Heather and preg-normous me. Much of my first 15 years of my life were spent with these fine women and it was great spending all weekend with them.

Robyn, Shannon, Mandy and I have lots and lots of memories together. (Most at my expense...I am the youngest girl.) Never the less, I wish the time with these two could have been longer and more memory sharing could have been had! But, it's good to be home...

Only for 4 small days, as I head out ON MY LAST TRIP until December!!!! Taking a deep breath to get through this last one!!

reunion weekend...

We had a great weekend (not long enough) in Philly and New York at my sister's and Matt's 25th high school reunion. We left Thursday, early in the morning, for Philly and spent the night at the Johnson's. Friday, Matt and I hit the road (Spencer stayed with her cousins) and played with all of his high school friends for the weekend. It was fun to meet all these people I've never met before and I know Spencer had a blast with the Johnson's.

Aunt Robyn got pumpkins for the kids to pain, and Spencer's materpiece sits proudly on our kitchen table.

There were beautiful centerpeices at the cocktail party on Saturday night. In them were these little sticks with everyone's pictures on them. Look at my cute little man!

Matt and I went to his 15th ten years ago, and I fell in love with Port Jefferson, NY. PJ is right next to Stony Brook and it's a cute little town that the Bridgeport Ferry goes between. There's this quaint little dive called The Steamroom and you can get some serious seafood at a not so serious price! We ATE AND ATE and loved every minute of it! So yummy!

Matt and I had no problem finishing it...or paying for it!

Saturday afternoon, we took in the first half of the Stony Brook football game. Their team definately needs some work, but it was fun to be at a HS football game and just sit there and not have to be "on". (Youth pastors know what I'm talking about!)

I think the class of '84 had a great turn out!

The entire weekend was great and Matt and I really enjoyed the two days we had with each other. We haven't done that in about 2 years, so thank you so much Robyn and Shawn! It was so nice!

I'm excited for this weekend's activities. My cousin is getting married, so Robyn and I are headed to the wedding for the weekend. It'll be fun to see some old faces, but I'm really just excited to spend some time with my sister, with out kids. Hopefully I'll have some progress pictures of the house this week!

time for a break!

I have been going, and going, and going, and going...

We are headed out of town this weekend and SO VERY EXCITED FOR A BREAK!!!!!! Spencer is very excited to see her cousins (as we are too) and Matt and I are heading to Stony Brook for the weekend for homecoming and his 25th high school reunion. It should be a good time for all and I'm excited to soak in some northern fall!

However I did realize it's going to be quite cold this weekend, and I have NO winter clothes to wear that fit. All my maternity stuff, that is for cold weather, is a size up and I know it'll be put to good use in a few months, but right now, AHH! So, thankfully, I had some comp time coming to me, so I'm taking a half day tomorrow and getting a little shopping in with my little girl in the afternoon.

The addition is coming along nicely. We're waiting on some inspection and then we'll have electricity and plumbing in! Then onto sheet rocking! Yay!

Can you believe Spencer will be 4 next month!!!!!!! Have a great weekend!

Finding Peace...

For sometime, now, I've been holding down two jobs. One very full-time, and quite part-time, but still takes up some serious time. I love BOTH jobs and I'm really enjoying the challenges and education that my second job brings. On top of this, October just holds to be a very, very busy month. September was insane, and October is panning out to be the same.

Beginning this weekend, I travel to a middle and high school retreat for my girls. Spencer will make the trip with me, but she'll be given to my mother for the weekend and then make the trip back with us. The following weekend holds travels for us, which Spencer will come along, but again, we'll leave her for 2 days for Matt's high school reunion. The following weekend is my cousin's wedding to which, yep, I leave Spencer again for the weekend, and now, I just scheduled a meeting in Indiana (the state) for 3 days the following week.

Spencer has definately taken some adjusting to school and misses me terribly, lately, and I'm going to have to have some balance VERY SOON. I am looking at November, with nothing on the calendar, and I am NOT scheduling anything for it. I WILL be home every weekend with my little girl and I will be making sure I am with her as much as I can. I WILL say no to whatever is brought before me.

Please pray for me!