Thanksgiving in the South

Yup that's right... we headed down to good ole' Mississippi to visit our dear friends Jim, Mitzi, and their daughter Mia. They moved there from Chicago a year ago because Jim took a job at Ole Miss. We were quite brave for embarking on a 10 hr straight car ride with a year and a half old, but Addison did great. We stopped and let her run around and invested in a DVD player to try to occupy her when she really got restless. We went through Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, and finally Mississippi- it was quite an adventure! I have to say that we were pleasantly surprised with Oxford, MS. It is a really cute town and the people there are all so nice. I was called Mam! Ha ha ha. We had a great time enjoying Thanksgiving together, going to the Ole Miss football game and tailgating, going downtown and shopping at the Square, the guys got in some golf, and it was even warm enough to sit outside and enjoy a fire and have some smores. We had such a blast. Thank you Jim and Mitzi for having us, we'll be back for another game! We miss you already!

It was so interesting to see how much people LOVE football in the South. I am not a huge football fan, but I must admit- after being in that environment it is really fun. The families all come out to the grove on game day and set up tents with elaborate spreads... I mean chandelirs, flat screen TVs with satellites, silver platters, flower centerpieces, pots of chili, grills, etc. This is the real deal! The women get all dolled up and wear the cutest dresses to the game! No sweatshirts and jeans here... People are rebel fanatics... I saw embroidered rebels on pants, smocked dresses with rebels, Ole Miss paraphinelia was everywhere. It was quite a sight to see... If you ever get a chance to go check it out, it is well worth it!

Going back to Thanksgiving- We truly do have so much to be thankful for! We are SO blessed... thanks to all our family and friends who truly do enrich our lives!

Addison's 18 months!

We have a 1 1/2 year old!!! Addison is becoming more and more of her own little person each and every day. She is one independent little girl who knows what she wants. This is a good and bad thing... We have been trying to take advantage of each "warm" day left before it is too cold to go to the park... Grammy & Pappy came out to visit for my birthday and spoiled Addie with their love and attention. She got quite accustomed to her daily Starbucks run- thanks Mom and Dad for helping her to develop expensive taste at such a young age! I know we're in trouble with this one because she is OBSESSED with shoes and purses. She continues to learn new words daily, is a pro at feeding herself with a spoon, loves music and dancing, looking at books, "talking" on the phone, and pushing her dolly around in her stroller. She has fallen in love with Elmo, not by watching TV, but from seeing him on her diapers. She is a true joy and we are so blessed to have her little sparkle in our lives daily. We are about to embark on "time outs" so wish us luck!

Addie was delighted to have Grammy & Pappy out here visiting... She loves being the center of attention, so loved every moment of it. Mere and Natalie also came down for a weekend, which was such a blast. If only you didn't move to Mich... Addie wasn't so sure about having to share her turf, toys, and Mom with Natalie... I have to work on this! She is quite protective of me around other kids :)

(I had this saved since Nov. 17 but never got around to sorting out the pictures, so here we are... a few weeks late!)

A real tear jerker...

"Dear Eliot" is a moving story of two parents unconditional love and selflessness for their child who had trisomy 18- a terminal condition. They were told their son would probably die in utero, but he beat the odds. This story gives us hope that God is always moving... even in times of pain, uncertainty, and hardship. May God richly bless Eliot's sweet parents, and may we never take one day for granted!

First haircut!

We FINALLY did it!!! Gone are the mullet wearing days for Addison! We took her to Kidsnips last Saturday and figured it would be fun (although unnecessary since we could have done the few snips at home) to take her in for her first official haircut. Well- it turned out to be rather tragic for poor Addison. We walked in and she was terrified from the start. She wouldn't sit in one of the cars, wouldn't wear a little cape, could care less that Elmo was on, and wouldn't sit still for one split second. I had to hold her and she cried on my shoulder the whole time- bless her heart! It made for an interesting photo op I guess. The good news is that instead of being charged $20 we were only charged $5- because she "has no hair!"

Pray!

I was on the Bring the Rain blog and came across this amazing way to pray for your child(ren). There are seven verses to pray over your child through out the day all prompted by daily activities- waking up, getting dressed, eating, going out of the house, bathing, going to bed, and sleeping. How cool would it be to pray for your child seven times a day for a week??? Click on the 7x7 picture on the right and it will bring you to the verses. I encourage you to take this challenge on!!!

VOTE!!!

It's obviously not my place to tell you who to vote for (although I wish I could), but please get out and vote. This election is really important and many crucial issues are at stake. Every vote counts! And a little perk... no pun intended- you get FREE Starbucks coffee if you vote! See the video below:

Our little piglet

Addie was a little pink piggie for Halloween. Yesterday some of us met up at a park to let the kids run around in their costumes, since we all had different Halloween plans for tonight. It is so funny to look back at them all together last year, as compared to this year- they are growing up SO fast! Addie woke up this morning throwing up. I thought it was an isolated incident, but as we were on our way to a pumpkin patch, she threw up again... A trip to Target, and a some pedialyte later, she seems to be getting better. We ended up taking her out so she could run around and do some trick or treating, and hoped that she didn't throw up. We saw Luke for a short while. Who knew we'd be trick or treating with paper towel in tow :) Addie had a great time running around from house to house. One thing that I thought was very interesting is that mostly everyone put out bowls of candy. We didn't ring one door bell. Addie did a great job just taking one piece (okay sometimes two)! All in all, our little piggie wasn't a piglet at all... we let her have one tootsie roll pop and some toast, but I didn't want to take any chances.

A Northern Michigan getaway

Cor and I were lucky enough to get away last weekend for a Fall getway. We went up to Northern Michigan and explored Traverse City, Charlevoix, Petoskey, and Harbor Springs. They are all such cute towns with great food, quaint cottages, trendy boutiques, and friendly people. I highly recommend them all! Being up there reminded me a lot about New England. We hope to make it back up there this summer to enjoy the boats, the beaches, and the beautiful surroundings. The weather wasn't the best, but there was still beautiful colors on the trees. It was really fun to be able to be on no schedule, relax, and just be together without our precious Addison. She stayed with Cor's parents- thanks Oma & Opa for taking such good care of Addie!

Our little monkey!

Addie's 17 months!

Wow! Another month has quickly passed. It's hard to believe that in one more month Addison will be 1 1/2! She continues to be a ball of energy, so much fun, and she's learning more each day. Her #1 favorite activity continues to be trips to the park and the zoo. She also loves airplanes and points up to the sky and says "airplane" whenever she hears or see them! She is starting to talk more and copies many words we say. She continues to love coloring, books, music, and dancing. She did her first race this weekend for the Comer Kids Classic,and loved it!

Addie in action...

Addie's favorite activity is definitely an outing to the park. She runs wild, climbs all over the playset, and makes my blood pressure rise because she has NO fear. Instead of sitting down to go down the slide, she walks off and thinks it's funny... she has tried walking off the platform where the fire pole is many times- yes she is crazy! She also loves to try on our shoes and experimented with a "puff" dress... she is very fashion forward with her taste :) Maybe we'll see puff dresses on the runways soon!

Out of hibernation mode!!!

Well... the past few weeks have been INSANE! I think things will calm down a bit for school for a while, which will be amazing! Poor Addie has been having a hard time with me gone quite a bit more than she's used to... It breaks my heart! I want to apologize for all the phone calls and emails I have not gotten back to... I am now coming out of hibernation mode, and will hopefully get caught up :) School has been all consuming lately- I think I spent over 40 hrs this past week on my couch studying the same book... Last weekend my dear college roomates Sara and Heather came to visit for a reunion (we missed you Vanessa!). It was Wheaton's homecoming so we headed out there and then just spent the weekend relaxing, catching up, and acting silly! It was so nice to see you girls- we love and miss you here in Chicago... come back anytime. This weekend was beautiful, warm, and felt like summer. We had a great weekend catching up on much needed sleep, went to the zoo, the park, and got to see Al, Ben, & Paige. Paige and Addie had fun playing together... I think it is the first time they really enjoyed each other's company and played together, instead of just parallel play.

Fireproof

Cor and I went to see the movie Fireproof on Sunday night. You should see it... it is a great movie to support because of the Biblical principles it communicates to the audience. It strongly affirms marriage and also shows the priority it should have in our lives. It shows the power God has to redeem broken relationships, broken hearts, and broken lives.

Bring the Rain

If you ever have any free time (time is a commodity these days, huh?) please check out this incredible blog (Click on the link on the right under my blog list). I spent a few hours yesterday walking through this woman's journey of grief and growth as she wrestled with God's plan for them to carry a baby with a heart and lung condition, that is not compatible with life. This woman's faith will inspire you, challenge you, and bring you to the foot of the cross! Reading her blog has truly blessed me, and I am confidant it will bless you too...

Addison is 16 months!

Okay, Okay I know... I am ten days late in posting these pictures, but life has been busy... busy doesn't even begin to explain the insanity! Who knew going back to school and juggling being a mom and wife could prove to be so wild! But it is only for a season and I am confident that God will enable me :) Addie is our little girl, and no longer a baby by any means (well except in the hair department maybe!). When asked what her name is she says AH-DEE and is very proud of this declaration. She loves identifying different body parts, and often starts the day off by saying BOO! when we walk into the room in the mornings. She is a true delight and we feel blessed beyond measure to have her entrusted in our care. Addie loves coloring (this involves eating the crayons right?), reading, building with blocks, going to the park, barking at dogs (yes this is still a common occurance), and belly buttons! She is constantly pointing hers out and lifting up our shirts to find ours... This does pose a predicament out in public! She also loves hiding things down shirts and up your pant legs. Does anyone else have a child who enjoys this??? It is scary how quickly the time really does fly by... And being in the city, sort of forces you to confront that even more... We have now been to two meetings about preschool. Yes, you read correctly preschool! Only those of you who live in the city would think this is a normal occurence... I have to have friends remind me on a daily basis that things are a bit different here than in the rest of the country! But we do love it and feel blessed to be in this great city, with great friends, and a great church.

Cupcake craze!

Addie is no longer the dainty eater she was when she was inspecting her birthday cake a few months back... She dug into the cupcake and LOVED it! Thanks to Julie for watching Addie and for the cupcake and video.

Fall is officially here...

Starbucks has their Pumpkin Spice Lattes back- pure bliss! Although it's sad that summer is over, fall is my favorite time of year. The air feels so fresh when it's brisk, the leaves on the trees paint a beautiful tapestry, and it means the holidays and family gatherings are just around the corner... I was at the store yesterday and they were putting out Christmas decor- are you serious? We haven't even had Halloween! Don't wish the fall away just yet, Labor Day was a week ago!

A girl doing girly things...

Addie has been having a blast! We had a girly playdate with our friend Emilyn, playing with dolls and tea sets... We got Addie a doll stroller and she has been LOVING it! She pushes it all over the house. She has also gotten into dressups a bit and LOVED her tutu! She is taking after me because I used to love wearing tutus...

Our little hippie...

One of Addie's musthave accessories lately have been one of my black headbands. She will put in on and keep it on her head throughout the day... Don't worry- I do remove it prior to going out in public. She also loves wearing this particular necklace... As of late, she is rocking the hippie vibes. Will keep you posted on further fashion developments!

Polish sausage anyone?

Cor was hanging out with Addison all day yesterday when I was gone at school. When I got back home, I was agast to find out what Addie ate for lunch. That's right- she ate an entire polish sausage!!! I didn't know if I was upset, grossed out, thought it was humorous, or what I really felt about the situation. Being a vegetarian, I was okay with trying to give Addie some chicken and fish (which she has rejected everytime so far), but didn't know how I felt about the red meat thing. Apparently she has her dad's taste buds. Not sure if she'll have another one any time soon, but I will definitely keep you posted.

Little Addie... Big Addie

I was going through pictures today and found this one of Addie when she was first in her exersaucer. Addie wanted to crawl into the exersaucer today so we let her thinking it would be cool to see how big she is in it(she hasn't been in it for months and months)... So although she is still quite little, she is still gotten very big!!!

Addie's 15 months!

Addie had her 15 month Dr. appt today and she is 20lbs on the dot and 31 in!!! This is a huge accomplishment because we can now turn her carseat around... sorry for being so by the book Addison :-) We are still waiting for her to start really talking, but she still manages to communicate her every need and desire in creative ways- charades, speaking in foreign languages, shaking her head, making funny faces, and doing some signing. She continues to be so much fun. We had an awesome trip to Michigan to see Oma & Opa, and to see Meredith, Wes, and Natalie's new stomping grounds. We also had Natalie's 1st birthday party which was a lot of fun! We are trying to take advantage of every last day of summer going on walks, going to the park, going to the beach, swimming in the pool, and playing in the water table. One of Addison's new favorite activities is to water the plants.

Addison!

I used to be so good about posting pictures to her babyjellybean website on the exact day she was another month older... my how times have changed! I guess I am a lot busier now that she is running & climbing all over the house... Addie has been having a great summer. She loves our daily walks to the park and especially enjoys the slide, swings, and sandbox, she loves playing out on the deck with her water table, loves to dance and listen to music, look at books and read, and play with puzzle pieces. She is definitely all girl so far and has girly fetishes that weren't encouraged at all- shoes, jewelry, and purses! She is going to be expensive if she keeps these up!!! We are having a blast seeing her personality continue to develop. She says a few words like mama, dada, up, apple, done, etc... and she barks anytime she sees dogs while we're out!

Catching up...

The past few weeks have been so much fun, but quite a whirlwind! We went to Lake Geneva with some friends (thanks Chris & Lauren!), celebrated our 5 year anniversary, Cor's sister Jess got married, and my parents were in town. Lake Geneva was so relaxing and fun to escape the busyness of the city. We enjoyed friends, fellowship, the boat, and some great food. We had an awesome time downtown celebrating our anniversary- thanks Jess and Jared for watching sweet Addie! Jess & Jared's wedding was amazing. They are absolutely perfect for each other... and the Lord blessed us all with the most incredible day! The wedding took place on a yacht off of Navy Pier. My parents came in town for the wedding and we couldn't of done it without them. They were the designated babysitters while we were busy with wedding festivities and tying up last minute details. Thanks mom & dad- you're the best. Please come back soon! I have been really busy trying to balance school and Addie, while work (& occasional golf) have been keeping Cor quite busy as well.

Home sweet home...

Cor, Addison, and I headed out to Connecticut for the 4th of July. We had a blast! We went out on the boat, watched the fireworks, ate tons of seafood, went up to Newport, and Cor got some golfing in. After the 4th Cor headed back to Chicago and my mom, Addie, and I headed up to our cabin in the Adirondacks... It was so nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and enjoy the peace, quiet, and majesty of the great outdoors.

Here we are!

Here we are... we have gotten suckered into the crazy world of blogging! Since our families and so many of our dear friends are so far away, we thought this would be a great way to keep everyone in the loop of what is going on with the Riedbergers. We will do our best to keep this updated with pictures and updates of our crazy, yet fun lives! We cannot believe that Addison is already a year old and well on her way to becoming a little girl! Where does the time go??? We feel so blessed on a daily basis and give God all the glory... Here are a few pics of our summer fun...