Memorial Day Weekend full of Neutebooms, Wells and Studzinski's!

We had a fantastic time over memorial day weekend with our second annual Neuteboom/Wells/Studzinski family get together. It is so amazing to me that just last year I was only pregnant and Gabe was only about 7 months, wow how time flies. Well I have a huge amount of pictures for this post so we better get started.

First off a HUGE thanks to Grandpa Ric for a week of Daycare and to Grandma Connie for coming out the week before memorial day to provide Grandma Daycare. We were able to make it through the school year keeping Isabella at home or with family. We'll start up at real daycare in August and we are looking forward to it.

Okay Trish, get to the point already...... So Friday after work Eric, Bella and I headed over to Connie and J.P's new Condo to meet up with the Clan. Nancy and Lindsey drove in from Missouri and Heidi, Chris, the now 18month old Gabe and J.P. made the long haul together from Colorado Springs. We enjoyed a great outdoor meal, catching up with everyone, and playing in the grass. It was so nice to see everyone.

Bella got to meet her Awesome Aunt Nancy and Cousin Lindsey

I like this picture of the siblings with their beautiful babies.

Thelma and Louise

The Cousins! I always have super fond memories of playing with my many cousins. I can't to watch these guys tear it up. Next year's Memorial Day weekend is going to be a riot.

Kisses for Bella

The next day we parted ways and the boys headed to KC to buy me a new car. I loved my little Scion but it was just that. too little! I had to put the seat down just to fit the stroller. So Eric and I decided to upgrade and he, Chris, a former car salesman, and J.P., a man who loves to buy cars, went to find us the perfect vehicle. And they did! Here is what they came back with, Our new beautiful Rav 4!

While the boys are away, the girls(and babies) will play. First we all headed off to Kansas City to shop for a bit which proved a little more difficult with two babies and didn't last as long as the usual shopping excursions. We had a great lunch at The Cheesecake Factory and Gabe was cracking us up trying to get the sleeping Bella to eat french fries with him "French Frwy, Bewa!" Most of the fries ended up on the floor by way of the back if Bella's car seat. We then headed back to Lawrence . Heidi, Chris and Gabe had a room at The Hampton Inn so we went there to relax and swim. Eric and I were so excited to get Isabella in the pool for the first time. However since Eric was out buying us a new car I had to go in without him. We had such a fun time swimming with Lindsey and the little ones.

Here we are getting ready.

Okay, Bella has two swimsuits, I know that seems silly but this second one is actually a dollar store purchase. Gotta love the Dollar store!

Bella loved the pool, She is as much a water baby as we thought she would be. The next morning we swam again with Daddy, he was braver than I was and even dunked her. She didn't mind too much.

Sunday evening we went over to the Averill house for a BBQ and games. I sadly forgot my camera but I know the rest of the family has great pictures I'll have to steal and post later. Monday morning everyone headed back to their respective places and Eric and I rested from such a fun and eventful weekend. I can't wait for next year!

~Trish

5 Months Old

Our Beautiful Baby hit 5 months last week. I can't believe how much she has grown! Above is a wonderful Artsy picture taken sometime last month but on the side you'll see her awesome 5 month shot. She's wearing a onsie that Julie made at the baby shower, her own personal Bad News Beers cheerleading outfit. For those of you who haven't heard yet, the Bad News Beers is our softball team. Bella has been out to several games now but I keep forgetting the camera. Check out my or Richie's facebook page for great Beers pics.

So I have a few more adventures to account for last month as well as just some fun pictures I wanted to get up on the blog.

First up, Art in the Park! Art in the park is the annual Art fair held in South Park and it was a beautiful day with many great artists selling their wares. I love Art in the Park and I force Eric to go every year, I had so much fun walking Bella around the park and seeing lots of friends. Special Shout out to Gail Gaus, sorry you didn't get a chance to see Bella, she can't wait to meet her Uncle Gaus' Mamma! We bought a few things at the fair including Connie's mother's day present and something for our winter decoration collection.

Eric and I keep accidentally dressing alike, we refuse to take pictures of it because of how cheesy it is but it just keeps happening. The last time was when we met up with Jaq and Joe for lunch at Free State. As we're driving I look over and notice that Eric is wearing a light blue shirt over a white T-shirt and khaki's. This would be no problem if I wasn't also wearing a similar shade of shirt over white with the exact same color Khaki's. ICK! However, matching shirts is much cuter and more fun when it's me and Bella. Like this pic!

The other day I was puttering around the Internet and started looking at the meaning of Bella's birthday. I looked at her birthstone, turquoise. Her birth flower ( yeah they have those, odd huh) and of course her horoscope. Our girl is a Sagittarius, the same as her Daddy and here's what I found out about the Sag baby.

November 22 - December 21 Planet - Jupiter Element - Fire
That happy-go-lucky child in the play circle is bound to be a Sagittarius. These carefree tykes march to their own drummer, and yes, they will walk early! They'll also be beating a path to everywhere, since they love to explore. Independent and free-spirited, it's imperative that the Sagittarius baby have lots of room to roam. Confined spaces are a disaster for these wandering souls, so they'll simply flail about until they can get out. The good news in all this is that the Sag baby won't have to be entertained every second of the day. That said, be sure to keep tabs on them in public places, as they could easily wander away! Above all, the Sag baby loves to explore, whether it's a new toy or a new friend. No fear here! This kid is a sponge, soaking it all up with relish. Thankfully, this child will know how to make friends and can be counted on to have lots of them. They love being part of a group, whether it's at home or out in the big, brave world. And it's that world they want to see, which may be why it's so easy for this baby to hit the road. Whether by train, plane, or the high seas, the Sag baby will travel better than the rest. To sum up, the Sagittarius baby needs freedom, has a curious mind, and is forever on a journey of discovery. Happy trails!
Copyright 1999-2009, Astrology.com and KnowledgeWeb, Inc., All rights reserved

Before Eric headed back to work we got to catch up with all his work friends at Cynthia's retirement party. Bella was a hit! Cynthia was smitten with her and we had fun raising a glass to all the wonderful work Cynthia has done. I'm also a little jealous since she and her husband are planning to take the RV across the country for their retirement. I'd love to travel all over.

Okay, that's all for this pretty random post. Great adventures coming up include a total Neuteboom/Wells/Studzinsky invasion! We are so excited to spend the weekend with all of Eric's family. I'm really looking forward to seeing my nephew Gabe and Cousin Lindsey and I'm REALLY excited for both of them to meet Bella. I'm sure we'll have loads of fun pics to document the weekend. It will, by the way, include Bella's first pool experience. Eric and I are both avid swimmers and I think we'll have a little water baby. I can't wait!

~Trish

Music at Libby's

About a month or so ago my Dad's cousin Jane came to visit and the Averill family decided on a music night and dinner. So with a variety of instruments in the trunk, a baby in the back, and my Dad driving, the Averill/Neutebooms headed in to Topeka. It was really fun to see Grady, and the family, dance, sing and eat an exceptional meal. It was cool to watch how much Isabella enjoyed the Music.

Grandpa Ric, Liliana and Bella played the piano before the full music jam session began.

Then Uncle Tom, Cousin Jane and Dad broke out the big guns and the music began.

My Dad and company finally sang for Grandma the song he's been working on. He heard it on the radio the day my Grandfather died and has been singing and working on an arrangement of it since. Here we are singing to Grandma, she seemed to be truly touched.

Bella is not quite sure what Lili is up to now.

My father with yet another instrument. It always amazes me how many he can play.

It's always so much fun to gather together and we're all looking forward to the upcoming Moffit visit from my cousin Jen and her family. It sounds like lots of music, bowling, and fourth of July festivities are on the horizon for that trip.

~Trish

Great win last night!

What a game by the Royals last night!

I had to be careful not to holler too loud so as not to wake Trish and Bella, but damn, it was hard not to! Back-to-back homers (Jacobs and Teabag), Miguel Olivo's second walk of the year (you read that right), a triple by DDJ (coupled with some fine baserunning by Mitch Maier, who pinch-ran for Olivo) and a sac fly by the spork (pictured) for the walk-off win. That's the kind of game that this team needed, and could be the catalyst for a long winning streak.

Now we only need to get Bella out to a game. Can't wait for that!

Go Royals!

The Great Expressions of Miss Bella Boom, Volume 2

"Huh?"

Bashful

"You sure that bird won't poop on me?"

smiley

"I didn't eat the rest of Mom's Birthday Ice Cream Cake"

"mmmm...........Cake"

"Silly Kitty"

"Seriously Daddy"

"Whoa!"

In the words of Ricky Bobby "I wanna go fast!"

"That is brand new information."

Trish Weekend

Last weekend was so fantastic that if I had in fact taken over the country in my adulthood as Queen and implemented a Trish weekend, it would have been quite similar to last weekend. I was spoiled rotten, but recovered back to my sickeningly sweet nature.

It began on Friday with my birthday. Before work Eric and Bella treated me to breakfast and dropped me off at work. I had a nice day at school where my students found out it was my birthday and decorated my board as well as shouting across a quiet classrooms or loud hallways "Happy Birthday Boom." Then after school my husband and daughter picked me up and we headed home to open presents.

I got some beautiful clothes for work and summer as well as a gift certificate for a hair cut and color from my husband and In-Laws. It was perfect because I've been whining for weeks about cutting my hair, now that Bella has discovered how to grab and pull on it. I'm getting a mom cut, before and after shots will appear on the blog.

We then headed out for a Sushi dinner at WA, I was so excited to get my own set of chopsticks as well as their super weird but yummy birthday dessert. It was a great turnout for dinner including, Mel, Randall, Bart, Shep, Nelson, Gaus, Emily and of course Bella and Eric. We had a blast and Bella even stayed pretty relaxed. The food was amazing as always and Gaus and Emily bought me a Funnel Cake maker that I'm SUPER pumped to try out.

Below, Bella and I at Wa, check out my super awesome bruise on my wrist/arm I got playing softball. I don't bat right, Eric says it's because I don't roll my wrist when I swing, so the end of the bat hits my arm. Makes for a great bruise to freak out the Jr. High kids.

Saturday arrived and we made our weekly trip to the Farmer's Market. Eric kept insisting that it was not in fact a Trish Weekend and I really only got Friday and Sunday, but I enjoyed my day Saturday as well. After the Market Eric headed off for what became a ridiculously long round of golf and I headed over to the Averill house, one of the great advantages of having my parents in town is the ability to go over to their house and nap while they watch the baby. Thanks Mom and Dad! That evening we headed over to the Gaus house for a BBQ and then Eric and Bella dropped me off at the Arts Center so I could enjoy my dad's new play "There's an Eyeball in my Soup" which was wonderful.

Sunday arrived with a beautiful morning where my loving husband willingly woke up with Isabella and let me sleep in for mother's day. We then met up with Nanna, Poppie, Laurie and Charles for a Mother's Day brunch at the Eldridge.

The three Mama's at Brunch

Nanna and Bella

Laurie and Bella

Brunch was really good even though they charged us for coffee and juice which on a normal Saturday/Sunday brunch is included. We thought that was a bit cheap. Some of you may know that we have a love/hate relationship with the Eldridge sometimes they're great, sometimes they rip us off. We haven't boycotted them yet though. Bella also made a new friend with the super cute 6month old baby girl Lucy at the next table. Babies are so cute together!

After Brunch we went home to change and head out to the softball fields (Eric was not looking forward to playing after consuming mass amounts of incredible brunch foods) I was team babysitter and got to hang out with Keegan and Bella at the game. We played a really nasty team called "those guys" and they truly live up to their name. They swore at us, the umpire and one guy even got in Eric's face and threatened him, I had to continue to remind him that day that it was more than okay for him not to punch the guy! There was even a dugout clearing moment when I though we were all going to throw down. In hindsight it was kind of exciting. We're not playing those guys again though, some people don't seem to understand the meaning of COED class C, beer drinking softball.

Luckily we had one more exciting event to finish off the weekend. We headed over to my folks to enjoy a birthday/mother's day cookout. I had requested steak, artichokes and an ice cream cake. Dad whipped up some amazing steaks and Eric and I picked up the cake. We didn't really take into consideration the weekend and the fact that ice cream cake might be popular, so Eric had to just grabbed the smallest available. It tasted great but the picture on the top was a little scary, granted she's a red head but it makes me wonder who decorates the Dairy Queen cakes?

Mom opened her Mother's Day card in which I included a very sappy letter about how Mother's Day carries a whole new meaning to me now. We also bought her a bottle of her favorite wine and bubble bath, ironically she bought me the same bubble bath for my birthday, it's one we both love.

Isabella and I watching Nanna read her letter

3 Generations!

From my parents I got a Spa Pedicure and Manicure so this week I was able to book a full Salon Day as soon as school is out. Like I said earlier, I'll post some before and after pictures. I'm gonna be pretty and relaxed!

So that sums up what I like to call Trish Weekend. Thanks to all of you who called, e-mailed, or facebooked me a happy birthday and Mother's Day, both were awesome.

~Trish

Better Late then Never!

Okay so this video is several weeks old but It's just too cute. This is one of the first days that Isabella started rolling over. She's a champ at it now and does it much faster but it's just so cute to watch her first discover how to do this.

Special guest post!

"I said four ounces of milk dad, FOUR!!!"

For the first time, Isabella (as dictated to her father)!

Hi mommy! Dad told me it was your birthday today, and we thought I should write a few thank yous and some milk-brained thoughts:

- Thanks for feeding me all the time, even at night when you're sleeping.
- Thanks for changing my diapers, or for making dad do it (even when he doesn't want to).
- Thanks for always singing to me when I go to sleep.
- Thanks for always dressing me so cute! And thanks for not laughing at dad's attempts to dress me cute (well, to his face, I won't tell him what you tell me when he's not around).
- What does "old as dirt" mean? Dad keeps saying that, "mom is old as dirt today."

So, happy birthday mom! Love you,

Bella

Happy Birthday!

To my dearest Trish,

You've given me a lifetime of love, comfort and joy. Each day with you is more magical than the last. You're everything I could have ever have asked for and then some. Your a wonderful wife, spectacular mother and the absolute love of my life. I love you so much, and can't wait for the days, weeks and years to come. You are my everything. Love, always,

Eric

Look Mommy, I'm a real adult!

So I got into my car the other day and looked around. Sitting in my pink button up blouse, suit pants, and practical shoes I looked around and saw the GPS system on the windshield, the carseat base in the back and it hit me. Oh Crap, I'm a real adult! When did that happen?

Tomorrow I turn 27, not a huge birthday but pretty special since two days from that I get to celebrate my first Mother's Day. I can't believe it. I'm a MOM! I have a beautiful baby, A handsome and incredible husband who is already spoiling me rotten, and a job I love. I'm one Lucky Lady.

And the exciting part is... It's real, This is my life and it's incredible. I'm on track in terms of my childhood ideas of what I thought adulthood should be like(minus my amazing takeover of the United States to become Queen and have everyone wait on me hand and foot.)

So even with; budget cuts to the district looming, a country wide recession, the possibility that like Stephan King's Novel "The Stand" The media will tell us that we may all be systematically wiped out by the virus formerly known as the swine flu(which in actuality seems to not be a very bad virus.) I've got it in perspective, I have a family and we're happy, healthy, and surrounded by all of our amazing family and friends. We are so lucky.

So there it is, I'm an adult, a wife, a mother and It's my turn to take care of my beautiful family. I'm so excited I've made it to this place. I can't wait to continue to learn, grow and become "real" adult while staying young at heart.

So Cheers to you all, my friends and family, the support system that I would be loathe to live without. You all enrich my life and without you I wouldn't be the same and probably wouldn't be able to write such a nostalgic and silly post.

We have an exciting weekend ahead and some grand adventures from the past few weeks to post, so you'll hear from me and get pictures soon.


Trish


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