The Polar Express

On Friday, November 7th we took the boys to The Polar Express train ride on the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad. They were very excited. Ashton repeatedly asked "Are we at the north pole yet?" "Are we going to see Santa Claus?" "Are we there yet?" "Are we there yet?". It was a longer drive than expected. The Great Smoky Mountain RR is in Bryson City, NC. When we googled the route it took us through the mountains by US129 from Maryville, TN. Little did we know, we were driving "The Dragon". Corey and I have heard of the dragon from patients that end up getting air lifted to UT hospital after driving their motorcycles or ATV's off a cliff. The Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap, with 318 curves in 11 miles, is America's number one motorcycle and sports car road. Corey and I didn't quite know what we were in for, but as it turns out, it was a bad route to take with the kids. The highest elevation was 1962 and the lowest is 877. Highest to lowest (to the river) is seen in one glance because just 2 feet off the road you were driving was a drop off to the waters below. The curves and elevation changes are not good for the little ones. Sawyer and Cullen both had problems with their ears and Cullen got very car sick. I was okay until I got in the back to help the kids. Then I also got a little car sick, as well as paranoid about going off a cliff with the kids in the car. It was a little freaky, but by far the most beautiful view of nature I have ever seen. I would like to go back up with my camera next fall (without the kiddies!!).
Back to the Polar Express! The train engine was a diesel so we were a little disappointed that it wasn't pulled by a steam engine. The interior was pretty shabby for first class, but the kids didn't mind at all. They played music from the movie "Hot Hot, yeah we got it! Hot Hot Hot Chocolate!". The kids were all in their pajamas. The only thing missing was the snow:( After the hot chocolate and cookies they read the book "The Polar Express". We then came to a decorated small town (The North Pole) to pick up Santa Claus. He posed for pictures and handed out sleigh bells. We sang Christmas carols all the way back. It was fun. Ashton and Cullen had a great time. Sawyer was a little cranky because the dragon experience didn't let him nap on the way. As for the hot chocolate...I would drive through the dragon again just to have another cup....yum!!!

Halloween 2008

As usual, Corey did a great job decorating. We got many comments like "Your the COOL Halloween house!" and "Your house is the scariest!". Our additions for this year were the Witch with the smoky brew and our foggy bubbles. Our foggy bubbles were a big hit with all the kids!

Our neighbors (Hanna's parents) have a party every year before the kids head out. They had lots of fun activities such as the pinata and bobbing for apples. Once the pinata broke open there was suddenly a pile (no kidding here) of kids from toddler to school age fighting for candy. There were people on top of people, screaming, laughing and adults pulling kids off of one another. It was hilarious! Best of all, we got to fill up on hot dogs and petros before filling up on candy. Yum! Thank you Bo & Paige!

As you can see costumes this year were Peter Pan themed. Corey opted out of this one. Ashton didn't like wearing his hat or his belt so he looked more like an elf. Cullen was also Captain hookless and hatless. Tinkerbell ran out of fairy dust so we stayed grounded:) We have a few pictures of Cullen protesting the hat. He was funny.

Corey stayed to hand out candy this year while I took Ashton and Cullen trick or treating. Ashton and Cullen drove in their jeep while I walked. It was GREAT! Pulling the wagon up all those steep driveways gets old really quick, but the jeep handled it with no problem. By the comments I got, I'm thinking we will see more battery operated vehicles for trick or treating next year:)
HAPPY HALLOWEEN! HOPE Y'ALL GOT SPOOKED!!

Pumpkins, Tractors, and Hay...Oh My!

Our trip to Maple Lane Farms was very fun. Ashton had missed his school field trip there because of a stomach virus he got the night before so we really wanted to make it up to him. Cullen and Ashton both let out a long "whoooooooa" when they saw the tractor. It was a very large one with wheels that were above my head. Cullen stood motionless just staring in awe at how large a "real" tractor was. He continuously gestured about wanting to go on the tractor/hay ride and he had his first temper tantrum of the evening as it pulled away and we were not on it. We tried to explain that there will be another one, but there was no getting through to this determined 2 year old. We managed to drag him over to the ticket booth to purchase the tickets for the hay ride. Once we were on it he was all smiles. Sawyer was quiet and just checking out the nice new view on Daddy's back. Ashton continued with repeated questions as usual. He wanted to know why the tractor would slow way down when it had to drive through some cow patties. We had to explain how the wheels would fling cow poop on us if we went too fast. Poop stories always entertain a 4 year old!
The view from the pumpkin patch was beautiful. Cullen didn't think so. He couldn't take 2 steps without tripping over another vine. After a few tantrums he went into overdrive and stood in the patch in panic and refused to move another inch without being carried. Corey and I just looked blankly at each other trying to figure out how to carry 3 large pumpkins and 2 kids back to be picked up by the tractor. The tractors came about every 10 minutes but little Cullen couldn't understand if one was driving away why we were not on it. He screamed, cried, kicked, hit, hyperventilated, arched his back, stomped...but we could NOT get on that next tractor fast enough! Once we did we let out a sigh of relief for Cullen had finally calmed and went back to smiles. I'm guessing there were some other folks around us that let out a sigh of relief too:).
We had dinner at Cracker Barrel on the way home. It was a nice family trip. It's always fun to see such excitement in the kids, even if some of it is in the form of screaming:)

Sawyer's First Birthday

A day for celebration, the end of infanthood! The intro to TODDLERHOOD! And for me, a toast to not being pregnant for a whole year! What glee!

Sawyer started walking when he was 11 months so now he is working on moving faster on his two feet while remaining stable. He is starting to communicate by pointing and gesturing to what he wants. "Mama" is his only word but he is pretty good at repeating sounds. We have gotten him to say dada, just not consistently. He often roams around and babbles "ahta", "es", or "dat". To him, these are 3 more words for his vocabulary. Though not in the english dictionary, they are adoreable words and seem to work quite well for all his expressions:). Sawyer is loving his big brothers and follows them around to see what they will do next. He laughs at their play and just loves being involved. We know when Cullen is trying to be bossy because Sawyer lets out a scream or whine.

The train cake I made was quite an ordeal. It took me about 4 hours between making the mix, baking, and decoration. The train was made from a Williams Sonoma cake pan. Then I decorated it with colored icing and candy. The sand, grass, and lake is all raw & colored sugar. The trees are rosemary from my herb garden. Ashton added Sir Topom Hat.
Grandma Voss, Mandy, Seth and Myles all came over for the birthday celebration. Grandpa Voss's presence was greatly missed.

Time To Catch Up

It's been almost a year since my last post! I can't believe it! There is no big excuse, just a million small ones:) The last year has been a rough one with adjusting to 3 kids, hormone/health issues, no sleep (still not getting much sleep), Cullen's asthma/allergies, many home projects, a cut in financial income, and Corey's Dad's cancer, chemo, and death. Along with grieving there has not been a strong emotion not felt in this past year. So, rather than talk about the details of the past year, I'm going to start fresh with this day forward so I can be fully present as I journal.
Stay tuned.....

December 2007

We had a lovely Christmas this year. Though we missed seeing our friends and family, it was very relaxing to stay at home without all the chaos and travels. I'm sure we will be back on the road next year as long as Corey has the time off.

Sawyer just had his 2 month visit. He is 12lbs, 10oz and 23 ½ inches. Just a couple oz heavier than his brothers at this age, but an inch taller! He is still getting up twice a night for feedings but the amount he is taking at night is decreasing (I hope that is a good sign). He is smiling a lot, loves to converse (coos, squeals), but still prefers to be in your arms. He isn’t a big fan of the swing and HATES his car seat. This will put travels to Michigan on the back burner for awhile. 10 hours of screaming….no thank you!

Picture explantion: I had just walked away to lay Sawyer down so I could get Cullen in the bathtub with Ashton. When I came back he was plunging the toilet! I ran to get the camera but buy time I got back he had left the plunger in the toilet and was trying to figure out the other contraption (the holder). I'm glad he knew what to do with it and didn't throw that nasty thing in the bathtub with his brother! Thats my boys!!

It's been awhile!

Hello everyone! I know I've been terrible at keeping up on this blog. It's been a very busy summer! I'm now 33 weeks pregnant with Sawyer Chester Voss. Yesterday we had an ultrasound and baby looks great. He is measuring about 5 lbs already! I still think he feels like 20lbs though. This pregnancy has brough on many more aches, pains and fatigue than the other 2. Between taking care of Ashton and Cullen, thyroid, anemia, sleep deprivation I feel like I can barely function. Cullen STILL doesn't sleep through the night. He wants 1 bottle a night and usually has 1-2 episodes of just crying (night terrors). This has been going on since he was about 7months. Mercy!

Some things we have been doing this summer start with our big garage sale in June. It's always nice to weed out all that unwanted stuff! We also had lots of fun with friends who visited. Casey & Corey Pierce and their 2 girls Morgan and Sydney came down at the end of June. Kristina visited on the way back from Florida with Felix, Aidan, and Fiona in early July. We went on vacation to Isle of Palms with Coreys family in July as well. And the last week of July my parents came down for Cullen's 1st birthday. My how time flies! August was full of preping and organizing for baby and so far that is what we have been doing in September as well. The boys have managed to stay pretty healthy since June (YAY!). We really need a break from this heat. We have spent the majority of the summer (at least 2 months) indoors due to 100 degree weather. It's getting a little better, now we are in the 90's. I've been telling Corey that another summer like this is going to make me start looking for homes up north...like Traverse City! I rather there be a blizzard outside to keep me indoors than this horrible heat & humidity!

Some further news; we just found out a couple days ago that Corey's dad most likely has metastasis to his lymphnodes from the cancerous tumor he had removed in May. We are still awaiting a biopsy & results but the most likely course will be chemotherapy. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers for a smooth recovery and peace of mind. Thank You!

Well, that will conclude this post. Hopefully I'll be able to keep up a little more in the future:)

Love, Irene

(it took 2 hours to do this post!)

A few more pictures

Voss Boy #3

Here is a picture of Cullen and his buddy Seth at the Zoo. It was a hot one, but we had fun!

I have no ultrasound picture to show just yet. Our study (as you all know) is under construction and I don't have a scanner hooked up at this time. You'll just have to take my word for it when I say he is already cute and indeed a boy! We are all very surprised. With this pregnancy being so different, we thought we had a girl on the way. Here is proof that it's all a myth! My dreams were right again. I discounted them this time figuring I just had "boys on the brain".

I'm feeling a little better than before. I'm still battling fatigue & forgetfulness, but the blues and irritability got better with the supplements. My doctor recommended fish oil with every meal and I've noticed a huge improvement in my skin. It's not as dry. I'm hoping this will benefit my hair too. I haven't been able to grow it out since my first pregnancy due to dryness & breakage. My hair needs a hormonal break!
We have a lot to look forward to this summer. We are having a garage sale in June and will be making a lot more space in our attic! We have our friends Casey and Corey Pierce and their daughters Morgan and Sydney coming to visit in June as well. Dollywood in on our schedule at least once in June, maybe twice. I may also attempt to drive up to MI with just me and the boys to FINALLY visit my parents property in East Tawas and see where they will be retiring. In July we will be taking a family vacation (all the Vosses, Schaffer's, and Hendler-Vosses) to "the beach" as the locals call it. We will be heading for Isle of Palms. We can't wait! Getting out of here is the only way to make us stop obsessing about getting things done around the house. I'm REALLY looking forward to it!

Long Overdue Family Update

Well, I thought it was time for an update since it has been so long. As many of you already know, we were on lock down for a few months while one virus after another rampaged through our home. It is VERY nice to all be well again. I'm still battling sever fatigue and getting through each day is very hard. There are days I don't leave the house simply because I don't feel awake enough to drive. I also have been EXTREMELY dizzy and often get tunnel vision when I stand up. My level of forgetfulness is just scary. I've been growing more concern with some of my symptoms since they don't seem to be getting any better with the 2nd trimester. After doing some research I found I could be nutrient deficient from having pregnancies so close together. I consulted a homeopath/nutritionist about some supplements and had my list ready to go over with my OB/GYN yesterday. After I told him about my growing concern with my symptoms including some depression, he looked in my chart and saw that my labs indicated my thyroid is underactive. This would've been helpful information over a month ago when the lab results came in. We did a redraw yesterday so I'm waiting for the results to see if I'll need to take thyroid hormone. Mild Hypothyroidism causes vague manifestations that can often be misdiagnosed (like being chalked up to pregnancy and sleep deprivation). Those symptoms include: sensitivity to cold, lethargy, dry skin or hair, forgetfulness, depression, mental confusion and some weight gain. I have them all! To give you an idea of how severe my forgetfulness is, when I came home from the doctors office yesterday and was filling Corey in on my visit, I had already completely forgotten about the hypothyroid issue. It wasn't until we were going to bed that night did I sit up and say "Oh, yeah...you know why I've been feeling so lousy...." How pathetic is that? I'm asking friends and family to please be forgiving of my forgetfulness and overall mental status during this time. I don't have much control over it.

Exciting news: We find out if we are having a boy or girl on June 5th...so place your bets now!!

Cullen is a big happy baby with 4 teeth. He doesn't sleep very well, but we are hoping for a change after he breaks a couple more teeth. At his 9 month visit he was 21 1/2lbs and 29inches. We are so happy to see him well again after all his terrible colds.

Ashton is a vibrant, energetic, sassy, defiant, sweet as an angel 3 year old. Only a toddler can manage to be all those things at once! We are finally off the paci and he is doing very well without it - no sleeping issues yet (it's only been 4 days). Ashton is getting more interested in having "friends" to play with. His best friend is Hanna, the cute girl next door. His other buddies are his cousin's Kaleb and AJ. Neither live near by, but he doesn't forget his fun time with them! Ashton enjoys his playdates through MOM's Club as well. He can get a little overstimulated with larger groups, but still has a great time. His vocabulary increases everyday with occasional regression. He likes to show us now and then that if Cullen doesn't have to talk than neither does he.
Corey stays busy as usual with work and coming home to work some more. I steal breaks whenever possible. I'm a little obsessive with getting projects done right now and Corey likes to make fun of me stating that I'm nesting. It does come a little earlier with each pregnancy! Corey is still working on the study, finishing details of the deck, and our super audio/visual/intercom system going in this month. Our entire house will run off a single control panel. Corey loves technology:)
I will post some pictures soon. My computer has a tendency to freeze during uploading, so one thing at a time. We miss you all!!